US 'may stop by Cuba' after Iran, says Trump

This episode of Late Night Live explores the escalating geopolitical tension between the United States and Cuba, prompted by recent statements from former U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting the U.S. may 'stop by Cuba' after dealing with Iran. Journalist John Lee Anderson, a longtime observer of Cuba and author of a biography on Che Guevara, joins host David Maher to analyze the current crisis. Anderson describes a Cuba in deep economic collapse—marked by blackouts, shortages, and a mass exodus of nearly 2 million people since 2021—while still maintaining a militarized, revolutionary state structure. Despite the regime's unpopularity, Cubans may resist foreign invasion out of national pride, not loyalty to the government. The discussion delves into the influence of Cuban-American elites in Florida, particularly Marco Rubio, whose measured but firm approach contrasts with Trump’s provocations. Anderson warns that while a full-scale military invasion is unlikely due to risks of chaos and mass migration, the U.S. is applying extreme economic pressure—cutting oil supplies and enforcing blockades—as a form of coercive diplomacy. The episode ends with a chilling metaphor: the U.S. is not invading, but slowly suffocating Cuba by squeezing its oxygen tube.