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Will Washington’s Cuba campaign succeed this time?

There’s a strong case for ousting President Miguel Diaz-Canel, but any attempt could risk real complications

    • Cuba is more economically fragile than at any point since 1993, with nationwide blackouts now routine.
    • Cuba is more economically fragile than at any point since 1993, with nationwide blackouts now routine. PHOTO: NYTIMES
    Published Wed, May 27, 2026 · 07:15 AM

    OVER the past 16 months, the Trump administration’s Cuba policy has moved from familiar sanctions tightening into something more ambitious: an openly declared bid to topple President Miguel Diaz-Canel’s government.

    The strategy is now well-documented in executive orders, US State Department designations and President Donald Trump’s own public statements.

    The harder question, and the one that has received less scrutiny, is whether it is likely to work, and what “working” would actually look like.