Podcast Episode
Trump has unleashed American power on the world stage, creating extraordinary uncertainty for the future world order. A conversation on how Trump’s foreign policy is shaping the world
Christopher S. Chivvis, Stephen Wertheim
Podcast Episode
What Does the United States Want From Cuba?
For more than sixty years, Cuba’s revolutionary government has survived economic crises and sustained pressure from the United States. But today, the island may be facing its most severe test yet. Daily life is grinding to a halt, under intense economic pressure from the Trump administration.
Published on Mar 20, 2026
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For more than sixty years, Cuba’s revolutionary government has survived economic crises and sustained pressure from the United States. But today, the island may be facing its most severe test yet. Daily life is grinding to a halt, under intense economic pressure from the Trump administration. Some U.S. officials are even predicting the imminent collapse of its longstanding communist regime.
But what does the United States actually want from Cuba? What do past U.S. policies toward Cuba tell us about America's options for getting the change it seeks?
In this episode of Pivotal States, Christopher Chivvis speaks with Michael J. Bustamante, Associate Professor of History and the Emilio Bacardí Moreau Chair in Cuban and Cuban-American Studies at the University of Miami. They discuss U.S. strategic interests in Cuba, the Trump administration’s approach toward the Island, and scenarios for the future.
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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