TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa resident Rafael Pizano said his relatives in Cuba tell him the country is likely days away from running out of fuel, and he is hopeful the pressure will lead to regime change on the communist island.
What You Need To Know
The Trump administration shut off the flow of oil to Cuba last month
The lack of fuel and tourists visiting the island has increased the economic crisis in Cuba
Tampa resident Rafael Pizano said his relatives in Cuba tell him the country is likely days away from running out of fuel
Pizano is hopeful that the pressure will lead to regime change on the communist island
“We welcome it,” he said. “I would rather have my family in Cuba spend a couple of months going through a tough time, more than usual, if it could lead to a transition.”
The Trump administration shut off the flow of oil to Cuba last month with military action in Venezuela, and Mexico suspended shipments under pressure from the U.S. The lack of fuel and tourists visiting the island has increased the economic crisis in Cuba.
“It’s actually getting tougher for the first time on the actual regime,” said Pizano, 45. “These active measures haven’t been seen in decades.”
Pizano’s dad, Roberto, 87, was a political prisoner in Cuba for 18 years until President Jimmy Carter negotiated an exchange for his release in 1979. The end game the father and son want to see in Cuba includes pluralism in political parties, legalized labor unions and the right to vote.
“That transition would be freedom, liberty, democracy,” said Pizano. “Change the course of history forever in Cuba in a positive way.”