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  U.S. policy on Venezuela and Cuba: pressure, incentives, and the politics of sanctions (A detailed, original explainer) U.S. policy toward Venezuela and Cuba is often discussed as if it’s one single “Latin America policy.” In reality, Washington treats them as two separate cases —but with a big overlap: energy, migration, and geopolitical alignment . Both policies are built around a familiar toolkit (sanctions, diplomacy, visas, enforcement, and selective carve-outs), yet they differ in history , legal structure , and how much room the U.S. president has to change course without Congress . This article breaks down what the U.S. is trying to achieve, what tools it uses, how those tools have evolved, and why Venezuela and Cuba keep getting linked together. 1) The big picture: what Washington says it wants Venezuela: “democracy + accountability” (plus energy realities) Across administrations, the U.S. has framed its Venezuela approach around: backing a return to democrati...