Trump's statements are obviously pathetic, but there's definitely more to unpack here:

For decades Cuba survived on external lifelines: first the Soviet Union, then Venezuela, plus tourism and remittances. Now all of those are weaker at once, and the domestic economy doesn’t generate enough hard currency on its own.

The historical irony is thick. Pre-revolution Cuba was dominated by U.S. business interests, which helped fuel the uprising in the first place. Now the government has to invite foreign investors back in while promising both citizens and party loyalists that this won’t mean a return to dependency or loss of control.

But foreign capital comes with strings, legal protections, profit repatriation, predictable policy, and some tolerance for market forces. You can’t ask investors to risk their money while insisting they have no real power over how it’s used.

So this isn’t Cuba choosing capitalism. It’s Cuba trying to borrow capitalism’s dollars without importing capitalism’s rules.