Fidel Castro: The Revolutionary Who Made America Tremble — Reflections from Cuba Amid Venezuela Turmoil
(Varun Mourya )
— The recent dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces has once again cast a long shadow over U.S.–Latin America relations, drawing renewed comparisons with a much earlier confrontation — America’s decades-long struggle against Fidel Castro’s Cuba.
In the early hours of January 3, 2026, a large-scale U.S. military operation in Caracas resulted in the apprehension of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were subsequently flown to New York to face federal charges in Manhattan on narcotics, weapons, and narco-terrorism allegations. The Trump Administration has justified the operation as part of a broader campaign against drug trafficking and “narco-terrorism,” while also emphasizing strategic interests in Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
President Donald Trump declared that the United States would “run” Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” to a new government is achieved, a stance that has stirred intense international debate over legality and sovereignty. Nations across Latin America — including Brazil, Mexico and Colombia — have expressed deep concern or outright rejection of America’s unilateral action, calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty and international law.
The unfolding crisis has revived memories of another era of confrontation — Fidel Castro’s Cuba — where, for decades, a small Caribbean island stood defiantly against the military and covert might of the United States.
Castro, who died in 2016 at age 90, became an enduring symbol of resistance to U.S. influence after leading the Cuban Revolution that overthrew dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959. Under his leadership, Cuba transformed into the Western Hemisphere’s first socialist state, nationalizing industries and aligning closely with the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
According to former Cuban intelligence chief Fabián Escalante, the CIA orchestrated an astonishing 634 assassination schemes or attempts against Castro during his tenure, ranging from the bizarre to the audacious — poisoned cigars, explosive devices and other covert plots — yet all failed to topple him.
One of the most infamous episodes of U.S. aggression against Castro was the Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961 — a botched CIA-backed attempt by Cuban exiles to overthrow the revolutionary government. The invasion ended in humiliating defeat for the United States and solidified Castro’s position both domestically and internationally.
Castro’s defiance not only defined Cuba’s resistance to direct U.S. intervention but also reverberated across the developing world, as Havana supported liberation movements in Africa, Latin America and Asia with soldiers, doctors and logistical aid. His legacy continued to inspire leftist and anti-imperialist movements long after the Cold War ended.
Today’s U.S. pressure on Cuba has taken on a new tone. In the wake of the Venezuela operation, President Trump issued stark warnings aimed at Havana, threatening to cut off Venezuelan oil and financial support that has long sustained the island’s struggling economy. Trump urged Cuba to “make a deal” or face consequences — rhetoric that signals a hardening U.S. posture toward a government that once stood defiantly against Washington’s will.
Adding to the geopolitical tension, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s engagement on social media — even jestingly entertaining the notion of becoming Cuba’s president in response to a netizen’s tweet — reflects the sharp tone in Washington’s current discourse toward Havana.
Analysts say that if Castro were alive today, the dynamics in Latin America might look very different. Castro’s Cuba stood for decades as a thorn in U.S. policy, not because of raw military strength but due to an unyielding ideological resistance that resonated well beyond its shores. In contrast, today’s geopolitical maneuvers in Venezuela underscore a more complex world where military intervention, economic leverage and global alliances intersect.
As tensions simmer between the United States, Cuba and Venezuela, Fidel Castro’s story remains a potent reminder of how determined leadership and revolutionary ethos can influence global politics — and how the legacies of past conflicts continue to inform present crises.
