TIM DONNER: Long National Nightmare For Cuba Almost Over

For as long as they have held power, the communists governing Cuba have been a nasty thorn in the side of the United States. The Bay of Pigs fiasco and the Cuban Missile Crisis under President John F. Kennedy threatened world peace and led to decades of tension between the two countries. The only temporary thaw came in 2014, when President Barack Obama restored diplomatic relations, reopened embassies, eased travel and trade restrictions, and removed Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

But in 2017, President Donald Trump put an end to Obama’s normalization, announcing, “I am canceling the last administration’s completely one-sided deal with Cuba … The previous administration’s easing of restrictions on travel and trade does not help the Cuban people. They only enrich the Cuban regime.”

The leadership in Havana has been on Trump’s hit list from the moment he descended that golden escalator, and now, 11 years later, the president says “something will happen with Cuba pretty quickly … Cuba’s a failed nation. Cuba also wants to make a deal. And I think we will pretty soon, or either make a deal, or do whatever we have to do.” (RELATED: Cuba’s Power Grid Flickers Out For Third Time This Month)

In another sign of his desperation and Trump’s near-total command of his fate, the Cuban president did something rarely seen over seven decades. He reached out to initiate negotiations with the American president. And after years of spouting vitriol against the United States, President Díaz-Canel made public remarks in recent days showing that, unlike the mullahs running Iran, he understands his country can no longer survive without help from the United States. “These talks have been aimed at finding solutions through dialogue to the ​bilateral differences we have between the two nations,” Díaz-Canel said in a strikingly dispassionate video aired on state ‌television.

The End Is Nigh

Make no mistake. The Cuban government is running on empty and can no longer survive unless it makes a deal with President Trump. This is not a hope but a reality. And as dealmaker-in-chief, the president will squeeze as much blood from the communist rock as possible. The golden goose will be a return to market capitalism and the repatriation of those among the estimated two million Cubans who have fled the country since the revolution and desire to return to their native land.

Beyond the rebirth of freedom and happiness in the island paradise, the benefits of a free Cuba are numerous. A land that once prospered may prosper again with the well-documented entrepreneurial spirit and determination of Cubans unleashed after 67 years of darkness. Its newfound coziness by necessity with the United States will eliminate another base of operations for Iran, China, and Russia in the Western Hemisphere, just as with Venezuela. And unbeknownst to most Americans is that, in addition to its stunning coastal landscapes and its well-known sugar, cigar, and coffee industries, Cuba is rich in natural resources, including nickel, cobalt, chromium, and iron ore. It also produces petroleum and natural gas, though not nearly enough to operate the country.

The historical consequences of liberating Cuba can hardly be overstated. As with Trump’s previous operations in Iran and Venezuela, generations to come will read and study about this turning point for Western civilization. The president says he will resolve the situation in Cuba once he completes Operation Epic Fury in Iran in the coming weeks. And whatever the plan, it will stand as the third leg of Trump’s trifecta designed to change the course of history.

Tim Donner is Senior Political Analyst at LibertyNation.com. A former radio talk show host, Tim previously ran for the U.S. Senate in Virginia. A longtime entrepreneur, conservative policy advocate, and broadcast journalist, Tim founded One Generation Away, LN’s parent organization where he served as president for 14 years.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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