The Art of the 'Deal': Cuba and the Shifting Sands of US Policy
CASE A: The Trump Administration's 'Deal'-Making Approach Coverage of President Trump's foreign policy often highlighted a transactional, art-of-the-deal approach, emphasizing direct negotiation and personal relationships. His administration's stance on Cuba, reversing many of the Obama-era relaxations, was presented as a reassertion of American strength and a punitive measure against the Cuban
government for its human rights record and support for Venezuela. The reported Cuban position, as outlined by Ambassador José Ramón Cabañas, indicated a willingness to engage, but implicitly understood the underlying power dynamic. This was not about mutual respect, but about navigating an administration that prioritized its own perception of advantage. CASE B: The Obama Administration's
'Engagement' Approach In contrast, the Obama administration's re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba in 2014 was widely framed as a progressive shift towards engagement, a break from decades of Cold War-era isolation. President Obama's visit to Cuba in 2016 was celebrated as a historic step towards normalizing relations, emphasizing dialogue and people-to-people exchanges. However,
even this 'engagement' was underpinned by a U.S. desire for internal political change within Cuba, albeit through softer power rather than explicit regime change attempts. THE FRAMING: 'Deal' vs. 'Engagement' The language used to describe these approaches is telling. For Trump, 'deal' implied a zero-sum game where the U.S. sought concessions, often framed as 'getting a better deal' for America.