Hare Cautions That Lasting Change in Cuba Must Come From Within
In an interview titled “For the Trump administration, ‘taking Cuba’ would not be easy” by Whitney Eulich for the Christian Science Monitor, Paul Webster Hare, former British ambassador to Cuba and a master lecturer at the Pardee School of Global Studies, urged caution in response to renewed rhetoric from the Trump administration suggesting U.S.-imposed political change on the island.
Hare described the idea of a U.S. “takeover” of Cuba as unrealistic, emphasizing that the country’s highly centralized, one‑party system remains firmly controlled by Communist Party elites. Despite recent leadership transitions, he noted, real power continues to reside with entrenched actors, including Raúl Castro and his inner circle. Such conditions, Hare argued, make externally driven regime change both implausible and dangerous.
Rather than abrupt political transformation, Hare pointed to gradual economic reform as the most likely pathway for change within Cuba. He highlighted past periods of engagement, particularly the U.S.-Cuba thaw during the Obama administration, as moments when limited openings created space for reformist thinking. Today’s severe economic crisis, he suggested, may once again encourage pragmatic debate within the Cuban system, even if political liberalization remains limited.
Hare also stressed the historical constraints on democratic change in Cuba, warning against expectations of rapid transformation. “You can’t just parachute in and restore democracy,” he said, arguing that any meaningful progress will need to emerge incrementally and from within Cuban society itself. His assessment underscores the need for realism, patience, and a clear understanding of Cuba’s political resilience in shaping future U.S. policy toward the island.
The full article can be read here.
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.