Hare Examines Limits of U.S. Pressure on Venezuela and Cuba
In a recent article published by Café Fuerte, Andy S. Gomez and Paul Webster Hare, former British ambassador to Cuba and a master lecturer at the Pardee School of Global Studies, argue that President Trump’s approach to Venezuela and Cuba fails to reflect the fundamentally different political realities of the two countries and has delivered limited benefits to Venezuelans while risking further harm to Cubans and Cuban Americans.
The authors contend that Trump’s agreement with Venezuela, following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, has prioritized U.S. energy interests without meaningfully addressing Venezuela’s deep‑seated political and humanitarian crises. They note that despite evidence from the July 2024 election, widely viewed by international observers as a victory for the opposition, the Venezuelan regime has retained control of state institutions, continued political exclusion, and presided over worsening poverty, mass emigration, and the collapse of health and education systems. Millions of Venezuelans remain disenfranchised, including those living in exile.
Turning to Cuba, the authors emphasize that Washington should not apply the same pressure‑based strategy used in Venezuela to a fundamentally different political system. Cuba, they argue, is a failed one‑party state rather than a failed democracy, requiring a distinct policy approach. They criticize renewed economic pressure and increased deportations of Cuban migrants, warning that such measures disproportionately hurt civilians and undermine long‑term reform prospects.
Gomez and Hare suggest an alternative framework modeled on historical U.S. reconstruction efforts, proposing a “Cuban Marshall Plan” that would focus on economic recovery, investment opportunities for Cuban Americans, and gradual political opening. This approach would require guarantees for private investment, decentralization of the Cuban economy, and eventual constitutional reforms to strengthen the rule of law, human rights, and political participation.
The article concludes that a more proactive, constructive U.S. strategy toward Cuba, combined with a more principled stance on democracy and inclusion in Venezuela, could reset relations across Latin America. Such an approach, the authors argue, would be welcomed in the region and help counter growing Chinese influence by offering genuine partnership rather than coercion.
The full piece can be read here in Spanish.
Paul Webster Hare is a master lecturer at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies. He served as British Ambassador to Cuba from 2001 to 2004 and also represented the U.K. to the European Union in Brussels, New York, Portugal, and Venezuela as deputy head of mission. Hare has extensively written about Cuba for renowned news outlets including The Financial Times, The Atlantic, Newsweek, and The Huffington Post. He is also the co-editor of the Palgrave Handbook of Diplomatic Reform and Innovation, which analyzes current practices of diplomacy and proposes practical solutions to improve diplomatic outcomes.