2026-01-20
8 分钟The Economist Hi there, it's Jason Palmer here,
co-host of The Intelligence, our daily news and current affairs podcast.
This is Editor's Picks.
You're about to hear an article from the latest edition of The Economist, read aloud.
Enjoy.
Donald Trump does not seem content with having removed one Latin American strongman.
Since kidnapping Venezuela's dictator, Nicolas Maduro, on January 3rd, Mr.
Trump and Marco Rubio, his Cuban-American Secretary of State,
have repeatedly said that Cuba is next.
On January 11th, Mr.
Trump said its regime should make a deal before it is too late,
adding that his administration was talking to Cuba.
For good measure, he posted an AI-generated image of himself smoking a cigar in Havana, the capital.
Though Mr.
Trump's intentions are murky, it is obvious that Cuba's regime is now unusually vulnerable.
It has survived for decades by courting powerful backers like the Soviet Union to prop up its state-controlled economy.
Since the 2000s, Venezuela has been its most important friend,
supplying discounted oil in exchange for Cuban doctors and security personnel.
The flow of oil was enough not just to power Cuba's electricity grid,
but to generate hard currency through resale.