Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Political uncertainty in Cuba intensified this week after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and after Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the government in Havana "is in serious trouble" and that its leaders "should be concerned."
In his remarks, Rubio underscored the involvement of Cuban officials in the security and intelligence apparatus of the Venezuelan government, reinforcing the perception that Havana faces a scenario of increased external pressure at a time of pronounced internal fragility.
Although analysts and academics consulted by UPI largely rule out a direct U.S. military intervention on the island in the short term, they agree that the new regional context opens the door to an intensification of economic, diplomatic and strategic pressure, taking advantage of the weakening of Cuba's main allies and the shift in power in Venezuela.
For Alberto Rojas, director of the Observatory of International Affairs at Finis Terrae University in Chile, developments in Caracas will have an immediate and profound impact on Havana.
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