Trump and Rubio allies are vying for control of Cuba’s assets if regime falls

By Lee Schlenker and Ed Augustin · The Guardian World

Washington and Florida insiders are exploring lucrative deals for a post-communist Cuba crushed by ever-increasing US sanctions Spanish hotel chains . A Canadian mining firm . European shipping giants . Visa and Mastercard . Scores of foreign companies have been driven out of Cuba this summer over fear of being hit with potent, new secondary sanctions . Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, told Axios last month there are “no escape valves” from his unprecedented pressure campaign against the island. But not everybody is losing out. A growing cast of Washington and Florida insiders – from billionaire Trump cronies and Rubio-linked lobbyists to Cuban exiles – are jockeying for control of the communist-ruled island-nation’s key assets, charging top dollar to help clients navigate the ever-expanding web of sanctions, and positioning themselves for lucrative business opportunities in the case of regime collapse. Continue reading...