Think from KERA What are we going to do about Cuba?
Apr 7, 2026
Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker staff writer and longtime foreign correspondent focused on Latin America, discusses Cuba's designation as a U.S. national security threat and the humanitarian impact of supply cuts. He contrasts Trump’s reversal of Obama-era detente with historical crises. Conversation covers Cuba’s power structures, economic collapse, migration pressures, and who might lead next.
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Obama Opening Reversed By Trump
- The Obama rapprochement with Cuba (2014–2016) created bilateral ties and visits that Trump then reversed, undoing much of the detente.
- Anderson recounts secret meetings, Obama’s Havana visit, and Trump’s rollback as a pattern of undoing predecessors' policy.
Raul Castro Still Holds Real Power
- Raul Castro remains highly active behind the scenes and resists political deals that would negotiate the Communist Party out of existence.
- Anderson explains Raul's historical role and that he favors limited economic opening but not political capitulation.
Gaesa Creates A Parallel Economic Power
- Cuba's military-controlled conglomerate Gaesa dominates joint ventures and acts like a parallel power that blocks broader private-sector growth.
- Anderson describes Gaesa owning foreign partnerships across tourism and services, funding the armed forces and resisting competition.