Cuba reacts after Trump treat
The Justice Department announced that it is indicting Cuban official Raúl Castro for a late 1996 murder as part of its campaign against the communist island. One global affairs reporter is warning that this is likely a pretext for another war from President Donald Trump.
Speaking to CNN on Wednesday, Sabrina Singh, who previously served in the Biden administration as the Pentagon press secretary, was asked whether the administration was using a kind of "Venezuelan model" applied to Cuba. In Venezuela, Trump ordered the military to invade briefly and capture Nicolás Maduro for a trial in the U.S.
"I think this administration is edging closer towards that Venezuela model. I think they are laying the groundwork and making the legal case, this time to the American public, on why they might need to take military action in Cuba," said Singh.
With the indictment, reported on Wednesday, she said that she is eager to see what Trump would say is an "easy win in Cuba."
"I don't think it's going to be exactly what he thinks it is," Singh continued. "It's not necessarily every operation is going to follow the Venezuela model, but if they can do a targeted strike or an extraction that could be perceived as a win for this administration, who's sort of trying to change the narrative around Iran right now. And I think that looms over any action in Cuba."
If the U.S. began an action in Cuba, it would unfold at the same time it continues a war in Iran. While there is currently a loose ceasefire, Trump hasn't managed to make a long-term deal similar to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) crafted by former President Barack Obama's administration along with five other countries.
Former federal prosecutor Elliot Williams said that the alleged Castro crime happened in international waters, but since Castro killed an American, it would give the U.S. jurisdiction to prosecute.
There is a challenge with the case; however, it's so old that many people who could have been involved are likely gone or have forgotten so much.
"You're talking about the kinds of things that Patrick talked about, witnesses that are three decades old from the time it happened, quote, unquote, lay down their lives for this person. Or aren't around anymore. And also, number two, the big piece of evidence is a recording that is three decades old, ostensibly of his voice," said Williams.