March 7, 2026, 8:58 a.mMarch 7, 2026, 8:58 a.m
The US government is pushing ahead with its aggressive policy against socialist Cuba: A working group is now examining criminal proceedings against Cuban government officials, as the Washington Post and NBC News reported, citing confidential sources. The move is reminiscent of the US action against Venezuela’s arrested head of state Nicolás Maduro, who was indicted by the US judiciary years before his arrest. US President Donald Trump had already brought up a “peaceful takeover” of Cuba at the end of February.
There are frequent power outages in Cuba.Image: keystone
According to the Washington Post, the Justice Department formed the working group specifically to examine possible charges against Cuban government officials or entities. The fact that the Treasury Department is also involved could indicate that the Trump administration is considering further sanctions against Cuba. According to NBC, possible criminal proceedings could be brought in the areas of drugs or violent crimes. Shortly before, US President Trump had reiterated his assumption that socialist Cuba was on the verge of collapse.
Report: Action is reminiscent of the fall of Maduro
According to the Washington Post, the move to prosecute could partly follow the model the government used with Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. Maduro was already charged with drug trafficking, among other things, in 2020 and was arrested in January and taken to New York, where he has to stand trial.
Relations between Havana and Washington have been strained for decades. The authoritarian Caribbean island is currently in its worst economic crisis since Fidel Castro’s revolution in 1959. Among other things, there is a lack of fuel. If the US permanently cuts off deliveries of oil from Venezuela, the Cuban economy could collapse completely. (hkl/sda/dpa)