The former governor of Carabobo, Venezuela, Henrique Fernando Salas-Römer responded this Tuesday to a question that many are asking: Can Cuba reach the point of definitive collapse? His answer, given in an interview with Tania Costa for CiberCuba, was emphatic: Venezuela has already been there, and the Cuban regime played a significant role.
The conversation took place amidst a double tension: the massive blackout that left Cuba without electricity on Monday —the seventh total collapse of the electrical system in 18 months— and the publication in USA Today of an , "El Cangrejo," grandson of Raúl Castro, in which he hints at being willing to assume power.
Salas-Römer was clear in distinguishing differences between Cuba and Venezuela. "I believe that they are two completely different regimes, even though we are talking about the Cuban regime, which was the major driver of what happened in Venezuela and also, evidently, in Nicaragua."
However, when the host suggested that Venezuela never reached the level of scarcity that Cuba is currently experiencing—without water, electricity, or food—the former governor immediately contradicted her: "No, of course it did. Although you may not believe it, an oil-rich country like Venezuela ended up neglecting all its oil wells; they began to close down and stop producing."
Salas-Römer explained that Venezuela went from producing almost 2.3 million barrels of oil daily to dropping below one million, and directly pointed to the Cuban regime as part of the problem. “I believe it was around 300,000 barrels that Venezuela was sending to the Cuban regime, which unfortunately the Cuban regime did not use to improve the quality of life for Cubans, but rather to conduct business.”
The former governor of Carabobo detailed the mechanism of that corruption. "They took Venezuelan oil almost for free, because they haven't paid for it; by the way, the debt is enormous. But the Cuban regime would resell it at international prices, at market prices, and so they amassed a fortune with that enormous corruption that we know exists."
Regarding the interview with "El Cangrejo" in USA Today, Tania Costa summarized the central message: "In the interview, he doesn't say anything new, but it can be read between the lines, and more than just between the lines, it's clear that he is willing to take on power if the revolution asks him to."
The host added a touch of irony by pointing out that the USA Today journalist found Rodríguez Castro wearing Hermès sneakers and Dolce & Gabbana shirts, while Raúl Castro's grandson declared, "It pains me deeply that people cannot live like I do. My greatest sorrow is that people struggle."
The former governor emphasized that, in his opinion, "El Cangrejo" would negotiate anything to survive. "That's all he has left; he's asking for cocoa, as they say in Venezuela."
Salas-Römer connected both phenomena—the blackout and the maneuver of "El Cangrejo"—to the current state of the Cuban regime as well as the Venezuelan one: "Both regimes are in survival mode."
"They would desire power in exchange for the massive influx of private companies, seeking to leave Cuba with a political system akin to that of China or Vietnam. They would sell even their own mother to remain in power forever. They pound their chests, claiming they would sacrifice themselves for the people. That's their survival mode: they do whatever it takes to stay in power. God bless the Cubans living in this reality."
The former governor also stated that the electricity crisis is eroding the regime's control over the population. "The energy suffocation has managed to break the stranglehold that the regime and the Revolutionary Armed Forces have had for years over the complete control of the population, but it is evident that day by day they are losing that control. Every day the demands grow larger."
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