The Enduring Playbook of Regime Change
THE CLAIM: Persistent Threats of Regime Change Newsweek reports Cuban envoy José Ramón Cabañas's characterization of Senator Marco Rubio's stance on Cuba as an 'obsession' with regime change. This remark follows statements from then-President Trump threatening 'full and complete embargo' and 'highest level sanctions' against socialist countries in the Western Hemisphere, specifically naming Cuba
and Venezuela. The implication is that these nations are the sources of regional instability due to their economic models and political systems. THE EVIDENCE: A History of Directed Intervention The notion of Cuban exceptionalism as a target for U.S. intervention is unsupported by documented history. The United States has a long and consistent record of intervening in the internal affairs of Latin
American nations. Between 1898 and 1994, the U.S. launched 41 military interventions in 15 Latin American nations—often under the guise of protecting U.S. interests or promoting democracy (Council on Foreign Relations, 2018). This includes direct military invasions, covert operations, and the installation of favored regimes. THE CONTRADICTIONS: Double Standards and Selective Principles In 2024,
the U.S. often frames calls for regime change in nations like Cuba as protecting human rights and promoting democracy. Yet, the same level of condemnation or economic sanction is rarely applied to U.S. allies with questionable human rights records, such as Saudi Arabia or Egypt. This exposes a clear double standard. Furthermore, while Senator Rubio consistently highlights Cuba's 'lack of