The journalist Sam Wang from NTD went out onto the streets of Washington D.C. this Saturday to ask ordinary citizens what they think about the crisis in Cuba and the possibility of the end of communism in the Western Hemisphere. The responses reflect a widespread feeling of hope regarding a potential political change on the island.
"It has been horrible for the Cuban people. I would love to see them have the opportunity to live a freer life," said one of the interviewees.
Another citizen drew a direct line between communism and the threat he perceives within the United States: "No one wants communism. They want to infiltrate our schools; they've gone so far as to infiltrate our churches. We do not want communism in America."
A third interviewee summarized his stance with a striking phrase: "The people in this country are not learning that lesson between socialism and communism. It doesn't work."
Several of those interviewed compared the situation in Cuba to that of Venezuela, where they perceive that communism is also in retreat, and expressed confidence in President Donald Trump's maximum pressure policy. "I feel confident that President Trump will do what he needs to do," one of them stated.
One of the citizens recounted what Cuba was like before the dictatorship: “Cuba was essentially open in the fifties and sixties. It was a pleasant country to visit. When Castro came to power, it changed and became communist. But the people there want democracy. I support Cuba and its right to have a democratic government.”
The same interviewee mentioned that on that day news had emerged about the intention to formally charge Raúl Castro, referring to reports about the federal indictment that the U.S. Department of Justice is preparing against the former dictator for the downing of the planes from Hermanos al Rescate on February 24, 1996, which resulted in the deaths of four people. That charge would be revealed on May 20 at the Freedom Tower in Miami.
One of the interviewees quoted Secretary of State Marco Rubio to conclude their argument: "Rubio stated so eloquently: I prefer our system over any other. It is not perfect. We have our problems and challenges, but I prefer ours over communism or extreme socialism."
The NTD video is released during one of the most tense moments between Washington and Havana in decades. The Trump administration has imposed over 240 sanctions against Cuba since January 2026, signed an executive order on May 1 to sanction those responsible for repression, and has managed to reduce Cuban fuel imports by between 80% and 90%, intercepting at least seven tankers in international waters.
The backdrop is an unprecedented energy crisis. The Cuban Minister of Energy, Vicente de la O Levy, admitted last Wednesday that Cuba has exhausted all its reserves of diesel and fuel oil: “We have absolutely nothing”. Power outages in Havana exceed 20-22 hours a day.
Last Thursday, the CIA director, John Ratcliffe, traveled to Havana and met with Cuban authorities, in one of the highest-level diplomatic contacts between both countries in years, while Trump and Rubio seek, according to the New York Times, to put an end to communist control in Cuba without triggering a total collapse of the country.
María Corina Machado predicted in February 2026, at the Munich Security Conference, what many of these citizens seem to sense: "When we dismantle the regime in Venezuela, Cuba will be next".
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