Mileydi Guilarte, a former White House official during the Obama era and currently a professor at the Francisco de Vitoria University in Spain, warned this Friday that a military intervention in Cuba cannot be ruled out under the current U.S. administration, although she clarified that she is not in favor of that option.
"I don't see how the government in Cuba is going to change if there isn't a combination of coercion with incentives. That balance is very difficult," Guilarte noted in an interview with CiberCuba.
Regarding the uncertainty in the negotiations, he commented: "It is unknown what will happen or what the indicators of success would be in a negotiation with Cuba."
He also referred to the role of the Secretary of State in Cuba-U.S. relations. "Marco Rubio has stepped back a bit from the media spotlight, but I don't think it's because he wants to withdraw. He is already involved and knows the responsibility he has." In this regard, he added: "It's too late to back out. He knew what the position entailed and must see it through to the end."
Guilarte's statements come after the deadline, on April 24, for the two-week period that Washington allegedly gave to Havana to release high-profile political prisoners, including Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Maykel Osorbo. The regime did not meet any of the demands, as according to Cuban authorities, "political prisoners are not on the negotiation table".
The regime also made it clear that there is no negotiation if the United States demands political changes, while Díaz-Canel acknowledged that the talks are in a very preliminary phase.
From Washington, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that it must go all the way to the finish line with Cuba.
In light of this situation, Guilarte was emphatic: "I am not in favor of war, I am not in favor of intervention, but with this administration, that cannot be ruled out. And I hope it doesn't happen."
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