Letter to the editor: Cuba needs a new government, not a buyout

OPINION:

Looking at the dire hardships that Cubans are suffering nowadays as a result of the tight measures imposed by the current administration, Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore (“Trump can finish what 12 presidents failed to do in Cuba,” Web, July 27) offer a solution: Buy out the Castro family leadership.

This would be an absurd solution.

The Trump administration has reportedly been in secret negotiations with Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, the grandson of Cuba’s former dictator, Raul Castro, to explore multiple transition scenarios. Popularly known in Cuban circles as “El Cangrejo” (“The Crab”) Mr. Rodriguez Castro does not inspire much confidence among most Cubans.

Just like the sideways-walking crabs that don’t move forward, he would not bring about the change that is needed to restore prosperity to Cuba. Moreover, he’s viewed as a socialist with capitalist tastes. He likes to sport Hugo Boss T-shirts, Hermes sneakers, a Rolex Submariner watch and a gold chain with a medallion engraved with the initials “FCR” and “RCR” to honor Fidel and Raul. These characters are not the patron saints of most Cubans.

In a recent interview in 2026, Mr. Rodriguez Castro explained the changes that he envisioned for a new Cuba: “We want to achieve a more open economic model with greater participation from national and foreign private capital … and for that, we’re neither willing nor prepared to transform the Cuban political system.” This is not the change that Cuba needs!

The most famous slogan of the Cuban Revolution was “Patria o Muerte” (“Homeland or Death”). The implication is that to reach the classless communist utopia, every Cuban had to be willing to sacrifice and even give up his or her life. But 67 years of communism has not improved the lives of Cubans.

With a 2026 median monthly household income of $9.76, massive daily power outages and no fuel, the majority of Cubans can’t cook their meals or drive their 1950s vehicles. It’s no wonder that they are ready for a new slogan: “Patria y Vida” (“Homeland and Life”).

But buying out the Castro family leadership will not get them the life for which they’ve yearned these many decades. For a “Cuba Libre” to see the light of day, the failed political structure must be overhauled and a new government must be elected by the Cuban people.

JORGE E. PONCE

Trinity, Florida