AI-Generated Fantasies of US Intervention Reveal Narrowed Political Horizons in Cuba

Following the reported removal of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela in early 2026, speculation has intensified that Cuba is the next target for US regime change under President Donald Trump. Amidst this tension, many Cubans and Cuban Americans are using artificial intelligence tools like Midjourney and DALL-E to create images depicting US military intervention as a liberating force. These digital fantasies often portray Cuba as a captive being freed by American protectors or feature renovated cityscapes honoring Trump. A historian argues that this visual language dangerously echoes late 19th-century US political cartoons that feminized Cuba and justified American imperialism during the Spanish-American War. The article suggests that while these images reflect desperation for political change, they also reveal a narrowed political horizon that ignores the complex history of US-Cuba relations. By reviting colonial-era tropes, these AI-generated narratives risk legitimizing foreign intervention and overlooking the long-standing Cuban desire for sovereignty and balanced international relationships, rather than simple substitution of one dominant power for another.