Operation Mongoose, cigar bombs... America's failure, how many times did it try to change the regime in Cuba?

News Topical, Digital Desk : The United States is once again eyeing Cuba with a suspicious eye. President Donald Trump has said that the island must strike a deal with Washington, or face serious economic consequences. On Sunday, Trump warned that Cuba would no longer receive oil or money from Venezuela.

"Cuba will get no more oil or money - zero! I strongly advise them to make a deal before it's too late," he wrote on his Truth social platform. Trump argued that without Venezuela's support, the Cuban government was on the verge of collapse.

Trump and Rubio gave these indications

He had previously said, "I don't think we need to take any action." He also said that without Nicolas Maduro and Venezuela's oil supplies, Cuba looks like it's about to collapse. Secretary of State Marco Rubio went a step further, saying Washington probably won't sit idly by.

Rubio said, "I'm not going to tell you what our next steps will be. If I lived in Havana and was in government, I would be worried." Trump then reposted a post suggesting Rubio could one day become Cuba's leader. He wrote, "That sounds good to me!"

Why did the Venezuelan operation change the equation?

The renewed focus on Cuba began after the US military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. This time, Washington hit Havana where it hurts most.

For years, Cuba has relied on Venezuelan oil to fuel its economy, providing security and medical personnel in exchange. Following Maduro's ouster and Trump's pressure on Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez to shift oil supplies to the United States, Cuba now faces a severe energy crisis.

Why is Rubio taking this personally?

The idea of ​​the Cuban government falling holds immense significance for Marco Rubio. His parents left Cuba three years before Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. In his early days in Florida politics, Rubio established himself as an opponent of Castro, whom he described as an evil, murderous dictator. Seeing the Cuban government fall would be the fulfillment of a lifelong political mission for him.

This is not the first time the US has tried to weaken Cuba.

This isn't the first time Washington has sought to undermine Cuba by targeting its allies. In 2019, Trump and Rubio supported an attempt to oust Maduro from power in Venezuela, which failed in April of that year.

According to a memoir by former National Security Advisor John R. Bolton, Cuban intelligence warned Maduro about the plot. Cuban agents in Venezuela helped foil the attempt, and reportedly a plane was ready to transport Maduro to Havana if needed.

Cuba has endured decades of isolation since the collapse of the Soviet Union. It continues to receive support from Russia and China and is no longer as dependent on Venezuela as it was a decade ago.

A long history of failed attempts to change power

US attempts to oust Cuban leadership didn't begin with Trump. According to Cuban intelligence and declassified US documents, hundreds of attempts were made to oust former Cuban President Fidel Castro, ranging from large-scale attacks to covert assassination plots.

1961 – Following the Bay of Pigs, President John F. Kennedy approved a secret campaign of economic sabotage, psychological warfare, and covert action to destabilize the government.

Declassified records reveal that some of the CIA's plots in Cuba were quite bizarre.

Explosive Cigar: A cigar fitted with a bomb and designed to explode.

Poisoned Milkshake: A poison pill was to be added to Castro's drink at the Havana Libre Hotel.

Poisoned diving suit: A wetsuit laced with tuberculosis bacteria and a contaminated breathing device.

Explosive Shell: A brightly colored shell with a bomb attached to it was designed for Castro's diving activities.

Ex-Girlfriend Plot: An ex-girlfriend is asked to poison him.

Character assassination: Attempts to defame them.

Many of these plans failed to move forward because they were dismissed as impractical or too risky. Since 1962, the United States has imposed a trade embargo on Cuba to exert economic pressure.

How many times was Castro targeted?

The 1975 Church Committee confirmed eight CIA plots to assassinate Castro between 1960 and 1965. Meanwhile, Fabian Escalante, the former head of Cuban counterintelligence, claimed 638 attempts, and said 184 attempts occurred during the Nixon era alone.

Despite decades of pressure, sanctions, intelligence operations, and diplomatic isolation, the Cuban government has endured. Today, while the US sees an opportunity after Maduro's fall, it also recognizes that real change will require sustained political, economic, and perhaps military intervention. As Rubio also said, "These things take time."

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