Requiem for Communist Cuba’s Apologists

Sure, communist Cuba has been on the “brink of collapse” before. Who would begrudge prudent observers who hold their passion in reserve as they await further evidence that Havana’s grip on power is starting to loosen? But conditions on the island have deteriorated rapidly following the ouster of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro.

If Cuba had a geopolitical project in this century that it pursued with anything like the vigor it displayed in its efforts to export Soviet-style communism around the world throughout the Cold War, it was Havana’s efforts to establish a loyal benefactor in Hugo Chávez’s Venezuelan regime. It’s not clear precisely how much of Venezuela’s sanctioned oil exports are no longer making their way to Cuba, but America’s efforts to interdict illicit energy shipments are clearly biting. That and Washington’s successful lobbying of other oil-producing nations, including Mexico, to cut Cuba off have thrown the communist regime into crisis.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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Sure, communist Cuba has been on the “brink of collapse” before. Who would begrudge prudent observers who hold their passion in reserve as they await further evidence that Havana’s grip on power is starting to loosen? But conditions on the island have deteriorated rapidly following the ouster of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro.

If Cuba had a geopolitical project in this century that it pursued with anything like the vigor it displayed in its efforts to export Soviet-style communism around the world throughout the Cold War, it was Havana’s efforts to establish a loyal benefactor in Hugo Chávez’s Venezuelan regime. It’s not clear precisely how much of Venezuela’s sanctioned oil exports are no longer making their way to Cuba, but America’s efforts to interdict illicit energy shipments are clearly biting. That and Washington’s successful lobbying of other oil-producing nations, including Mexico, to cut Cuba off have thrown the communist regime into crisis.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.