The Cost of Trump's Pressure Campaign on Cuba

Podcast Deep Dish on Global Affairs Podcast
The United States is squeezing Cuba harder than it has in years, with the island facing its worst energy and humanitarian crisis in a decade. Will this force change or will Trump follow through with his threats to “take the island?" María de los Angeles Torres breaks down current and historical realities.
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About The Episode

As the United States tightens sanctions and cuts off oil to Cuba, the island is facing deepening economic and humanitarian strain. President Trump has signaled he wants regime change, but what would that actually mean for Cuba, its people, and the region? María de los Angeles Torres of the University of Illinois Chicago unpacks the real impact of US pressure, why sanctions may be backfiring, and what could happen if this crisis deepens. 

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About the Experts
María de los Angeles Torres
Emeritus Faculty, Latin American and Latino Studies, University of Illinois Chicago
María de los Angeles Torres
María de Los Angeles Torres is a Professor of Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of Illinois in Chicago. She received her PhD from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She taught political science at DePaul University in Chicago from 1987 to 2005. She was a faculty Associate at Notre Dame's Institute for Latino Studies, 2000-2001 and was a research fellow at Chapin Hall University of Chicago 2002.
María de los Angeles Torres
Leslie Vinjamuri
President & Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Leslie Vinjamuri headshot
Dr. Leslie Vinjamuri joined the Council in 2025 as the president and chief executive officer, after previously serving as director of the US and the Americas program at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, known as Chatham House, in London. She is Professor of Practice in International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS University of London.
Leslie Vinjamuri headshot
Issues US Foreign Policy
Regions Central America and the Caribbean
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