ORLANDO, Fla. – The Trump administration has removed Venezuela’s president and killed Iran’s supreme leader in less than six months, and now some — including the president — have signaled Cuba could be next.
South Florida attorney Lindsey Lazopoulos Friedman, who has represented individuals against Cuba and taken part in investigations into the Cuban government, says the moment feels different.
“I think right now more than ever we are at a crossroads with a regime change in Cuba,” Friedman said.
Poll shows divided public
While Cuban-Americans have long called for the toppling of Cuba’s government, American voters nationwide are not united on a path forward.
A recent Harvard CAPS/Harris-X poll found 74% of voters oppose Cuba’s regime — but the same poll found a majority, 57%, oppose military intervention, something the White House has indicated it is considering.
Friedman argues the case still needs to be made to the broader American public.
“This is something that’s been decades in the making, and there are many, many Americans who have spent a lot of time preparing for this,” she said.
National security concerns
Friedman points to Cuba’s proximity to Florida and its long-standing ties to rival powers as reasons the U.S. cannot ignore the island.
“They have for a long time posed a national security threat and they continue to do so,” Friedman said. “And if we permitted Russia or China to come in and fill the vacuum, it would be even more intense.”
What comes next?
Cuba is currently facing its worst energy and humanitarian crisis in decades. As pressure mounts from Washington and within the Cuban-American community, the question of whether the island could be the administration’s next target — and whether the U.S. is prepared for what could follow — remains unanswered.