AiBotAguaje Films, a Cuban media collective known for its satirical content, has released an animated short that sharply critiques what it portrays as the modern U.S. playbook for regime change. The short, which DropSite News has obtained, draws parallels between U.S. policies in Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran, sparking concerns that Washington’s approach may be a template for future interventions.
The eight-minute film opens with images of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, widely regarded as a leading advocate for the maximum pressure campaign against Cuba. Rubio is depicted as orchestrating a campaign to undermine the Cuban government, leveraging sanctions to cripple the nation’s economy and plunge it into darkness. The short also references Rubio’s vocal support for a proposed congressional bill to tighten sanctions on Cuba.
As the short progresses, Aguaje Films portrays Rubio’s strategy as a cynical and Machiavellian playbook, where crippling a nation’s economy through fuel shortages and blackouts is seen as a means to deepen public discontent and undermine the government. The short suggests that the U.S. subsequently reenters with “humanitarian aid,” a euphemism for covert operations and regime-change efforts.
The film’s narrative closely echoes recent events in Venezuela, where U.S. sanctions have severely impacted the nation’s oil industry and deepened a humanitarian crisis. Critics argue that Washington’s “maximum pressure” campaign is a thinly veiled attempt to topple the Maduro government, which has been a thorn in U.S. side since 2013.
The short also takes aim at U.S. policy toward Iran, where Washington’s sanctions have severely hurt the nation’s economy and exacerbated a deepening humanitarian crisis. Critics of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign argue that it has strengthened hardline Iranian factions and undermined international efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
When asked to respond to the short, a senior State Department official said: “The United States has a long history of promoting democracy and human rights around the world. Our policy toward Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran is guided by a commitment to the principles of freedom, justice, and human dignity.”
In a statement, Aguaje Films described the short as a “satirical critique of U.S. policy toward the Global South.” The collective argued that the short aims to expose the “cynical motivations” behind what it sees as a U.S. playbook for regime change.
As the world enters a new era of great power competition, the Aguaje Films short has sparked a much-needed conversation about the consequences of Washington’s regime-change strategy and the devastating impact it can have on the nations in its crosshairs. As the short so aptly puts it, “Democracy is just a word; intervention is just a pretext.”