US Increases Pressure, but Cuba Unlikely to be 'Venezuela 2.0'

Central News Agency, Washington, May 23. After the US Trump administration toppled the Maduro regime in Venezuela, it has continued to pressure Cuba. However, analysts point out that Cuba lacks similar opposition leaders and has a different political and economic structure, making regime change much harder than in Venezuela. Reuters analysis suggests Cuba is not necessarily 'Venezuela 2.0'. In Venezuela, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez took power after Maduro's arrest, but Cuba has no such successor. Orlando Perez, an expert on Latin American relations at the University of North Texas, stated, 'Cuba's security apparatus has systematically destroyed every potential source of alternative power.' Furthermore, the Cuban military has a deeper ideological foundation and stronger cohesion. Additionally, Cuba's economy is dominated by the military-run 'Gaesa' group, with a lack of a private sector. Despite US sanctions, Cuba maintains a sophisticated surveillance and intelligence network.