US Warns Cuba’s Leadership: ‘Don’t Play Games’ With Trump (1)

Jan. 15, 2026, 7:05 PM UTC

The US is sharpening its rhetoric toward Cuba after its successful military operation in Venezuela, signaling a tougher approach toward Havana unless the Communist-run island changes its ways.

“The Cuban government has a choice,” Jeremy Lewin, a State Department official for foreign assistance and humanitarian affairs, told reporters Thursday. If Havana continues repression and steals from recent shipments of US aid, the country will be held accountable, he said.

The Special Forces raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas earlier this month should make Havana take US threats seriously, Lewin added.

“What’s going on in Venezuela should make ...

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