Cuba in Trumps firing line

[ha_banos]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj9r0eyw0jno

With the Venezuelan capture, I've read Cuba has only 20 days fuel left. With no more lifelines.

Crazy times

[mcdee]

The Habanos festival next month may well be on a "shoogly peg" by the sound of things.

[ha_banos]

Cuba supposedly set up Venezuela during Castro's era.

Hugo Carvajal, former Venezuelan intelligence chief who defected and pleaded guilty in U.S. court, claimed Cuba masterminded the Cartel de los Soles by advising Hugo Chávez in the mid-2000s on weaponized drug trafficking against the U.S.

This could be what accelerates change in Cuba. But with these sorts of allegations I wonder if the US will sanction Cuba? With that and the Prince group sanctioned. That's Habanos in an awkward place. Either that or when the fuel is exhausted I guess the reserves will be used for the regime exodus. Every man for himself at that point. Then what...?

[mcdee]

Yet more cigar price increases and less production probably.

[Simon Bolivar]

To be fair, supply of Cuban cigars will be at the bottom of Cuban worries in their immediate future. They may be hand rolled but power is needed for everything else, from work on the farms (I know most use oxen to plough), to fuel to take the leaf to market, to electricity at home for the workers, to printing bands, box labels, lighting in the factories ect, ect. Without oil the country will grind to a halt, their own production is minimal these days, I saw many tapped off wells on our recent trip. And of course, no refrigeration, so no freezing of boxes before export, easily remedied by us of course but worth remembering to D.I.Y.

The real question is whether these & other consequences will bring in regime change? I doubt it for the foreseeable future but who knows, some changes occur very quickly, against the odds. But trying to organise any resistance or overthrow will be very hard, with no arms & spies in every apartment block.

[PeeJay]

Interesting article in the Telegraph this morning with Cubans saying they need regime change but not Trump's

[Kickback]

The first country to need regime change, is the US.