Democracy

National security concerns driven by Iranian ambitions are driving new security considerations within the Gulf. Preventing a hegemonic Iranian regime requires support for our allies within the region.

Cuba At A Crossroads: Crisis And The Long Struggle For Liberty 
Today’s Battlegrounds With H.R. McMaster

Join Rosa María Payá, founder of Cuba Decide and a commissioner on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and Hoover Senior Fellow, H.R. McMaster, as they discuss US-Cuba relations, Cuba’s deepening economic and humanitarian crisis, its internal challenges of governance and repression, and prospects for a more peaceful and secure future for the Cuban people. 
 
Reflecting on the current crisis in Cuba, Payá and McMaster discuss worsening humanitarian conditions facing the country, including blackouts, food and medicine shortages, and mass emigration. They examine the legacy of Payá’s father, Oswaldo Payá, and democratic opposition movements such as the Varela Project, the Cuban regime’s use of repression and surveillance to maintain power, and the role of young Cubans demanding political change. The conversation also explores US policy toward Cuba, the effects of sanctions and international pressure, Cuba’s relationships with authoritarian regimes including Venezuela, Russia, China, and Iran, and the conditions Payá argues are vital for a democratic transition in Cuba. 

Recorded on May 4, 2026.

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