The New Yorker Radio Hour Is Cuba Trump’s Next Target?
34 snips
Mar 20, 2026 
Ada Ferrer, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian of Cuba and Princeton professor, offers deep historical perspective. Jon Lee Anderson, longtime foreign correspondent, gives on-the-ground reporting from the island. They discuss U.S. moves toward regime change, Cuba’s economic collapse and Venezuela’s lost oil lifeline. Conversations cover negotiations, political strategy, daily hardships, migration pressures, and the risks of chaos.
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A Rapid Exodus Has Emptied Cuba's Cities
- Massive Emigration Has Left Cuba Physically Emptier And Older.
- Anderson reports up to 20% of the population may have left since 2021, draining young skilled workers and leaving many homes and neighborhoods sparsely inhabited.
Venezuela Substitution Hid Cuba's Economic Fragility
- Venezuela's Oil Relationship Masked Cuba's Vulnerability And Its End Exposed Fragility.
- Anderson traces 25 years of oil-for-services with Venezuela that ended with Maduro's capture, removing the crucial energy lifeline and revealing Cuba's dependency.
Rubio Strategy Seeks Economic Dependency Through Concessions
- U.S. Strategy Aims To Make Cuba Economically Dependent On America.
- Anderson describes a proposed package: economic openings and investment in exchange for fuel, effectively turning Cuba into a U.S. economic dependency similar to Venezuela's current status.
