‘THEY HAVE NO WATER’: Concerns grow over crisis in Cuba

Added: 2026-05-30

[00:00:00]All right, from Iran to Cuba, a collapse of the communist island could be imminent. Axios reporting the administration is bracing for a fall as early as this summer.

[00:00:12]>> Cuba's in a lot of trouble because unfortunately for them it's run by a bunch of incompetent communists. And being communist is bad, being an incompetent communist is like the worst.

[00:00:23]>> US military is in position, locked and loaded for action as soon as the president gives the command. The island currently in dire straits because of US sanctions on oil shipments to Cuba, and a Russian tanker that was on the way to save them, well, it just changed course, taking more than 200,000 barrels of fuel with it.

[00:00:44]Here to discuss is Fox News contributor and former Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.

[00:00:49]Mayor, always nice to see you. We got a lot going on in the world, okay? And we're we're waiting for something coming out of the situation room with Iran.

[00:00:56]Meantime, you've got this issue with Cuba.

[00:01:00]How many How many cards can you play at one time, Francis? Should the president Is the president's strategy to squeeze Cuba the thing he's doing because his attention's rightly turned to Iran right now? How do you see it?

[00:01:14]>> Well, he can certainly multitask. And I think for sure Secretary Rubio has a plan on how they want execute all of these these different theaters of operation. What they're doing in Cuba is very similar to what they did in Venezuela. It's very similar to what they did in Iran. They move carrier groups into the theater of operation.

[00:01:33]They continue to create more and more pressure through economic sanctions. And what we're seeing in Cuba is with this Russian oil tanker turning around, is they have no oil. They have no oil, which means they have no electricity.

[00:01:46]They also have no water. So, there is an increasing possibility of a humanitarian crisis or some sort of manifestations that could prompt action on the island. I think the president would prefer a peaceful a solution to this, but the president has shown a tremendous courage. He has demonstrated that he has the courage to act and take decisive action. And if I were Cuba and its leaders, I would be paying attention.

[00:02:13]>> You know, I I I would love to see communism eradicated from that island as much as you would.

[00:02:19]Uh let me ask the tough question though.

[00:02:21]It's one thing to squeeze that regime in Cuba. It's another thing to figure out what comes next, right? You've had communism in that country for decades.

[00:02:32]Is the process of finding the next thing too big of a risk to take right now? Or is this more of a Venezuela situation and you've got somebody there who can step in and provide stability? How do you see it?

[00:02:46]>> Well, there's no doubt that it's a generation that has not known what democracy and freedom and liberty feels like. So, that makes it a more complicated situation. I don't think that anyone has identified as far as I know a Delcy Rodriguez-like figure in the Cuban government. There's been talk about Castro's grandson. And certainly I think if you look at the history of the United States, most of the time it's very difficult to do regime change, which is why I think the president has taken different uh decision-making matrix in Venezuela than in than he than the United States has taken in the past with Iraq and with Afghanistan, which ultimately collapsed in terms of Afghanistan and Iraq. Uh you know, it was sort of unstable. I think it's going to be complicated. It's going to be difficult, but there is a plan. I have seen the plan. I've seen a a potential constitution, an interim government idea that is being proposed. And I think there would be a plan to transition Cuba to a democracy. You have a very engaged exile community like you do with the Venezuelan community. But this is a community that is well-funded, that believes and understands that the freedom of the Cuban people belongs with the Cuban people and that is willing to help aid in that transition to make it as quick as possible and as hopefully pain-free as possible.

[00:04:02]>> Okay, so and I agree there's an exile community I think that would be very motivated to help but let me finish with this question. Are the people in Cuba are they motivated? Are they prepared?

[00:04:14]Do they have the possibility themselves of transitioning to a form of government that they probably never seen in their lifetime and certainly the country hasn't seen in a generation or more?

[00:04:27]>> It's a fair question, Brian. But at the end of the day you have to think these are people that in many cases risk their lives to come to the United States. They get in these makeshift I don't know what you want to call them water vehicles, rafts, whatever and and risk their lives. So think about that and what that feels like to do that. And so it's it's a people that are very have a high level of ingenuity, they're entrepreneurial despite the fact that they live in a communist system.

[00:04:49]They have a very very extensive black market barter system economy that they have been implementing for years and years in the island. So I wouldn't underestimate the Cuban people. If you look at Cuban Americans right now in the United States you have an incredible Secretary of State, you have the number one draft pick in the NFL, you have the coach for the team that went to the national championship game. So Cubans are really defining this country in many many ways and are are are really setting themselves apart.

[00:05:18]>> Yeah, it's a moment of a lot of possibility. Francis Suarez, I always love talking with you about this subject because you know it well. Thanks for sharing it with us tonight.

[00:05:28]>> Thanks, Brian. Love being with you, too.