The Daily After Venezuela, Is Cuba Next?
379 snips
Feb 17, 2026 
Frances Robles, veteran Latin America correspondent with deep Cuba reporting, and Michael Crowley, State Department and U.S. foreign policy reporter, discuss Cuba’s crisis after Venezuela’s collapse. They explore fuel shortages crippling daily life. They trace decades of U.S.-Cuba confrontation and outline how U.S. pressure and regional decisions could push Cuba toward dramatic change.
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Cuba's Critical Oil Shortfall
- Cuba now produces only about 40% of its domestic oil needs and depends on external suppliers.
- Recent U.S. policy and loss of Venezuelan and Mexican oil have pushed Cuba toward acute fuel and humanitarian crises.
Migration As Castro's Escape Valve
- Fidel Castro repeatedly used migration as an escape valve during crises, including the 1980 Mariel Boatlift.
- He even emptied prisons and mental institutions to relieve internal pressure during hard times.
Post-Soviet Pivot: Venezuela And Tourism
- After the Soviet collapse Cuba leaned on Venezuela and tourism to survive economically.
- Obama's limited opening boosted tourism but failed to produce deep economic reforms.
