WORLD Kim Hjelmgaard and Francesca Chambers USA TODAY Updated June 5, 2026, 8:02 a.m. ET View Comments Washington ― Total economic and humanitarian strangulation – a Cuba death spiral – appears to be the United States' latest tactic in its 67-year quest to topple the island nation's Communist government. First the Trump administration floated a far-reaching economic deal to open up tourism, attract investment and perhaps make good on long-simmering Cuban-American compensation claims.