By James Morley III | Thursday, April 16, 2026
Charles Shapiro, former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela, stated Thursday that worsening conditions in Cuba primarily affect ordinary citizens, not the regime.
He emphasized that the Cuban people are the ones suffering most, while the Cuban government remains unaffected.
Speaking on a recent broadcast, Shapiro noted that “the Cuban government has gasoline and fuel,” but everyday Cubans do not, adding that such a condition is “always true.”
Shapiro described the situation as one where “in a dictatorship, government does just fine. It’s the people who are suffering.”
When asked about potential U.S. military action, Shapiro downplayed the likelihood of imminent intervention, stating that “the military’s always planning all the time” and such preparations are routine.
He added that if he were in charge of the U.S. military, he would be “revising those plans right now,” but stressed that planning does not indicate a policy shift.
Shapiro also dismissed statements from Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, arguing that “the strong guy in Cuba is not him. It’s Raul Castro and the Cuban military.” He said Díaz-Canel’s remarks are “not particularly relevant.”
Instead, Shapiro pointed to “conversations, behind the scenes” as more meaningful.
Describing Cuba’s internal structure, Shapiro noted that there are “no independent institutions, no PTA, no homeowners associations,” with the Catholic Church being the only independent institution.
He questioned how dissenting voices within the regime could be reached given its robust intelligence apparatus monitoring its citizens.
Reflecting on decades of travel to Cuba, Shapiro stated that conditions have steadily deteriorated: “Every time I’ve gone there, it’s gotten worse and worse and worse,” warning that the situation could continue to decline for a very long time.
