Drug Surges in Cuba

Julio M. Shiling, Political Scientist, Expert on Cuban Affairs, statements

Cuba's role in drug trafficking is a chilling reality.

Historically, the Castro regime has used drug trafficking as a weapon, financing its operations and destabilizing the entire region.

It's not just about drugs; it also fuels crime and forces more Cubans to flee the island.

As citizens leave, society weakens from within.

The regime thrives on this instability, but with each person who leaves, its legitimacy erodes.

This exodus is not simply a symptom of discontent; it is a direct threat to the regime's power.

Cuba's future hangs in the balance, caught between the struggle for survival and the threat of collapse.

🚨 Political scientist Julio M. Shiling reveals: 

Cuba's Role in Drug Trafficking and Rising Crime: A Critical Analysis by Julio M. Shiling 🇨🇺

In a revealing interview on "En Este País" with Lourdes Ubieta, historian and writer Julio M. Shiling, director of Patria de Martí, provides an in-depth analysis of Cuba's involvement in regional drug trafficking and the alarming surge in criminality on the island. Watch the interview in spanish. 

🏝️ Cuba: A Key Player in Regional Drug Trafficking

When asked about Cuba's connection to regional drug trafficking, Shiling delivers a stark assessment: "Cuba has not just a symbiotic relationship, but a completely central one. Cuban communism, since the late 1960s, began entering the drug business, first as a tool to subvert the United States, collaborating with its territorial space."

The expert explains that by the 1980s, Cuba had established direct relationships with Colombian cartels, discovering that it was "a very lucrative source of income" for the parasitic Castro regime.

💰 Money Laundering: The Ghost Hotels Strategy

Shiling reveals a massive money laundering operation through Cuba's tourism infrastructure: "The hotels that nobody visits, that are empty in Cuba, are simply a demonstration of the enormous money laundering campaign that communist Cuba uses with all the proceeds from drug trafficking."

This revelation exposes how the regime transforms drug money into seemingly legitimate business investments, using empty hotels as financial fronts.

📈 Crime Explosion: 378% Increase in Just 2 Years

The Cuban Observatory of Citizen Audit reported a staggering 1,319 crimes between January and June 2025, representing a 378% growth in just two years. Shiling interprets this dramatic surge as evidence of systemic collapse: "It's a sign of the decadence of dictatorial power. The perfect storm for the end of Cuban communism is presenting itself."

⚡ Energy Crisis: Symptom of Systemic Collapse

The massive blackouts plaguing Cuba are directly linked to the war in Ukraine, which has complicated money laundering operations through Russian banks in Europe, according to Shiling's analysis. This connection demonstrates how international conflicts can disrupt even criminal financial networks.

🔫 Civilian Arms: Corruption Within the System

When questioned about the source of weapons in civilian hands, Shiling points to internal corruption: "They are not very sophisticated weapons, and the only place where there are weapons in Cuba is from the regime. Corruption has reached a level where people close to the regime are selling weapons to generate higher income."

This internal weapons trafficking reveals how deeply corruption has penetrated the regime's security apparatus.

🇺🇸 U.S. Pressure: The End of Continental Socialism?

The anti-narcotics offensive by the United States under Donald Trump represents an existential threat to socialist regimes across the continent. Shiling warns: "Once the United States links national security to drug trafficking and the participation of continental socialism, it would be a serious threat to these dictatorial regimes."

🎯 The Regime's Dilemma: Repress or Collapse

The Cuban government faces a critical dilemma: if it uses dictatorial forces to control criminality, it risks social explosion. "There is some concern that if they prevent all types of theft, they may find themselves in confrontation with Cuban society," Shiling explains.

This impossible choice between maintaining control and preventing social unrest illustrates the regime's weakening grip on power.

🌪️ The Perfect Storm for Cuban Communism

Shiling's analysis reveals how multiple crises—economic collapse, energy shortages, rising crime, and international pressure—are converging to create what he calls "the perfect storm" for the end of Cuban communism.

The intersection of drug trafficking, systemic corruption, and social decay presents an unprecedented challenge to the Castro regime's survival, suggesting that significant political changes may be inevitable.

Follow Julio Shiling at Patria de Martí for continued analysis on Cuban realities and regional developments.

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