Cuba’s Future and U.S. Interests
Virtual, Members-only
Thursday, April 9, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM ET
Cuba is at a strategic crossroads as the near collapse of its national energy system reshapes the island’s political landscape. Intense U.S. sanctions and the loss of energy support from traditional partners like Venezuela have left the Cuban government in its most vulnerable state in decades. While Havana seeks diplomatic paths forward, the current U.S. administration sees an opportunity for changing a government that Washington has declared “an unusual and extraordinary security threat.” This crisis moment carries profound implications for U.S. foreign policy and for broader geopolitics.. What is the current situation in Cuba, and how is Washington’s geopolitical pressure impacting its governance? What role might other countries, like Russia, play in this situation? And what are most likely future scenarios for Cuba?
Join us on Thursday, April 9, 2026, from 6:00 to 7:15 PM ET for an insightful discussion that explores the current state of affairs in Cuba and its future trajectory. Our speaker for this briefing will be Emily Mendrala, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.
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SPEAKER:
Emily Mendrala
Emily Mendrala, is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.
Emily Mendrala is a Senior Advisor of Dinámica Americas. She served as Deputy Assistant to the President, Senior Advisor on Migration, and Coordinator for the Southwest Border at the White House from 2023 to 2024. Before joining the White House, she was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and covered Cuba, Central America, and regional migration. Emily has also worked on legislative affairs at the National Security Council and as a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Outside of government, she has deep experience in non-profit leadership, serving as the Executive Director for Center for Democracy in the Americas from 2017 to 2021. Emily is from Raleigh, North Carolina. She has an M.A. in International Economics with a concentration in Latin American Studies from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Virginia.
THIS SESSION IS FREE FOR NETWORK 20/20’s MEMBERS
NOT YET A NETWORK 20/20 MEMBER?
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Image credit: Image by David Peterson from Pixabay
