Six decades after the Cuban revolution, despite a generational leadership transition, Cuba remains one of the most enduring challenges for US foreign policy. In a country where one of the few things that work is the state’s repressive machinery, the regime is keeping the Cuban people impoverished and deprived of basic freedoms.

The Trump administration has been turning up the pressure on Cuba, predicting the regime's imminent collapse and imposing a sweeping blockade on oil shipments. Earlier this month, Washington sent a senior delegation to Havana for talks, warning that the regime has limited time to comply with US demands for political and economic reform. Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel has been defiant, insisting Cuba will not negotiate over its political system and urging Cubans to prepare to defend the country.

Join Hudson Institute for a conversation with Frank Calzon, a veteran human rights advocate and one of the foremost authorities on Cuban civil society, as we examine the state of the island, lessons from democratic transitions elsewhere, and prospects for the Trump administration’s Cuba strategy.