As the Communist Cuban Junta Enters End-of-Life Care, Marco Rubio Begins Secretly Talking to Raul Castro's Grandson About a Living Will

Nine days ago, John Sexton predicted the communist regime of Cuba was entering its last year.

They've run out of airplane fuel, leading to grounded airplanes. And they're rationing gasoline. They are no longer receiving gas and oil from Venezuela in return for the state police thugs they sent to protect Maduro and find and torture his critics.

Russia is no longer sending its Dark Fleet to aid them either. In fact, the NYT reports that Cuban communists are realizing they are completely isolated and alone.

Predictions of the demise of Cuba's government have been made before, notably after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, which had been Cuba's main benefactor, only to be proved wrong.

But this time, experts say, the survival of Cuba's government appears very much in doubt...

The U.S. government "has determined that Cuba must be free before the end of 2026," said Marcell Felipe, a prominent Cuban exile leader in Miami who chairs the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora and said he had met with U.S. diplomats. "This is a plan in motion."...

A U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the administration’s interactions with Havana said Cuban officials were nervous because they were starting to realize their revolution was coming to an end."

And now Axios reports that Rubio is talking to Cuban officials -- to talk about what happens when the regime collapses and society descends into chaos.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been holding secret talks with the grandson and caretaker of Cuba's aging de facto dictator, Raul Castro, as the U.S. puts unprecedented pressure on Havana's regime, three sources tell Axios.

Why it matters: The talks between Rubio and Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro are bypassing official Cuban government channels. They show that the Trump administration sees the 94-year-old revolutionary as the communist island's true decision-maker.

"I wouldn't call these 'negotiations' as much as 'discussions' about the future," a senior Trump administration official said.

Zoom in: Rubio and his team see the 41-year-old grandson and his circle as representing younger, business-minded Cubans for whom revolutionary communism has failed -- and who see value in rapprochement with the U.S.

"Our position -- the U.S. government's position -- is the regime has to go," the senior official said. "But what exactly that looks like is up to [President Trump] and he has yet to decide. Rubio is still in talks with the grandson."

Called "Raulito," the younger Castro is known in political circles by his nickname "El Cangrejo" ("The Crab") because he has a deformed finger.

Zoom out: After 67 years of U.S. sanctions and Cuban mismanagement, the totalitarian government appears closer than ever to collapse as the island teeters on the edge of a humanitarian crisis.

The power grid is failing. Hospitals are limiting surgeries. Food and fuel are increasingly scarce. Tourism is drying up. Uncollected garbage is piling up on some street corners.

...

Between the lines: The U.S. military's success and technical superiority in the Maduro operation shook Cuba's leadership after American forces suffered no losses and killed at least 32 Cuban intelligence and military officials who were supposed to be guarding Maduro, U.S. officials say.

But the U.S. decision to keep Maduro's governing partners in power --notably his Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who's now acting president -- signaled to Cuban insiders that Trump and Rubio are willing to make deals with rivals.

posted by Disinformation Expert Ace at 05:30 PM

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