Ep. 67 | Reconnaissance on Communist Cuba

Before launching Operation Epic Fury against Iran, the focus of many within the national security world was whether President Trump would take action against the regime in Cuba. Months later, Cuba remains a dictatorship 90 miles from our shores that partners with our adversaries to harm Americans. John Suarez, Executive Director of the Center for a Free Cuba, joins Vandenberg Executive Director Carrie Filipetti to unpack the long-standing threat Cuba poses to Americans and policy options for confronting it. (1:15) A Career Surrounding Cuba(4:25) Cuba’s Recent Economic Reforms(6:25) Ramiro Valdés Menéndez(8:22) Other Notorious Regime Players(12:10) No Meaningful Progress on Political Freedoms(13:33) Conditions for Political Prisoners(14:45) Humanitarian Conditions in Cuba(18:12) How the Cuba Regime Amplifies Adversarial Influence(27:06) Absolute Resolve’s Impact on Cuba(28:46) Why Is Cuba Politicized in America?(30:37) Why Does Cuban Freedom Matter for America?(34:16) Assuaging American Skepticism(38:34) Will the Regime Fall?You can watch this episode as a video on YouTube.