US seeks next leader of Cuba – NYT

Washington is reportedly seeking to repeat the Venezuela scenario in Cuba, but faces a tougher challenge The Trump administration is looking for a new Cuban leader who can change Havana’s political course, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing current and former US officials.Since returning to office, US President Donald Trump has tightened the decades-old blockade of Cuba, threatening tariffs on countries that supply it with oil and saying he will take the country “one way or another.”The unnamed officials told the NYT that the Trump administration has been searching for a current or former Cuban official who could be persuaded to take over the government. The White House has reportedly asked US intelligence agencies to identify someone in the mold of Delcy Rodriguez, who became Venezuela’s acting president after the US kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro in January.The intelligence agencies have said Cuba is less like Venezuela and more like Iran, where the US has publicly stated its intention to change the regime but has so far failed to do so, the newspaper cited people briefed on the intelligence reports as saying. US officials told the NYT that few pragmatic officials ...