Maximum Pressure on Cuba, With Will Freeman
About this episode
This episode discusses the impact of the Trump administration's maximum pressure campaign on Cuba's economy and the current living conditions in the country.
This episode unpacks how the Trump administration's maximum pressure campaign is accelerating Cuba's economic collapse and what a firsthand trip to the country reveals about life amidst the crisis. Host: James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR Guest: Will Freeman, Fellow for Latin America Studies, CFR We Discuss: What the Trump administration is ultimately seeking to accomplish with its Cuba policy. How secondary sanctions differ from the existing trade embargo. What life on the ground in Cuba looks like today, with a mass economic crisis including widespread malnutrition and near-total electricity blackouts. Whether ordinary Cubans blame the United States or their own government for the crisis. Whether Cuba's government is attempting to pivot toward a China-style state capitalist system. What Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. (GAESA) is, why it controls so much of Cuba's economy, and who actually benefits from it. Whether the Trump administration's pressure is targeting GAESA directly. Why a Venezuela-style external coup or regime collapse is harder to engineer in Cuba. Mentioned on the Episode: "Cuba's 176…
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