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Commentary
Wall Street Journal

The Perils of a Cuban Collapse

Political instability and economic chaos could ensue if the Havana regime falls.

walter_russell_mead
walter_russell_mead
Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship
Walter Russell Mead
Residents collect water from tanker trucks and carry containers through the streets amid widespread shortages, as seen in Havana, Cuba, on June 4, 2026. (Getty Images)
Caption
Residents collect water from tanker trucks and carry containers through the streets amid widespread shortages, as seen in Havana, Cuba, on June 4, 2026. (Getty Images)

Cuba’s communist regime is grappling with perhaps its worst crisis since the fall of the Soviet Union. Many MAGA supporters believe the dictatorship will collapse, shoring up diminishing confidence in President Trump’s conduct of foreign policy and boosting flagging Republican popularity.

Life may not be this simple. The Cuban government is more resilient than many of its opponents comprehend, and its fall could complicate rather than simplify the lives of American policymakers.

Read the full article in the Wall Street Journal.