Podcast Summary: EZRA LEVANT | What We Saw During Our Secret Mission in Cuba

Rebel News Podcast
Host: Ezra Levant
Date: February 6, 2026

Overview

In this episode, host Ezra Levant discusses Rebel News’ undercover journalistic mission to Cuba in the context of recent political shifts throughout Latin America, focusing on what appears to be an emerging “domino effect” of regime change in the region, largely attributed to the actions and policies of Donald Trump. The show highlights the perilous conditions ordinary Cubans face under the longstanding communist regime, features excerpts from Rebel News journalists’ undercover reporting in Cuba, and explores the potential for imminent political transformation on the island.
The episode also touches on wider geopolitical ramifications—like US policy, shifting Latin American governments, and brief commentary on Somaliland.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Domino Effect" in Latin America (00:00-05:43; 17:05-28:40)

• Ezra opens by linking Trump’s intervention in Venezuela as the first domino in a chain reaction towards freedom across Latin America, suggesting Cuba is “next” in line.
• Notable governance shifts are cited: Colombia’s president visiting the White House to “apologize,” Costa Rica and Panama electing or supporting pro-freedom leaders, and Panama removing Chinese influence from the Panama Canal.
• Ezra expresses admiration for “Trump’s generational foreign policy legacy,” likening it to the Monroe Doctrine and expressing that Trump “is creating more peace and ending more dictatorships than anyone else” (31:08).

2. Secret Mission in Cuba: The Undercover Report (02:13-10:35)

• Two Rebel News journalists, Alex Lavoie and Efron Monsanto, posed as tourists to clandestinely interview over 20 ordinary Cubans about daily life, communism, regime change, and Donald Trump’s impact on the region.
• “We want to provide a megaphone for the world to hear.” – Rebel News reporter (03:03)
• Emphasis on the dangers faced by both journalists and local interviewees, since “speaking out against the regime can result in five to ten years in prison.” Faces of interviewees were blurred for safety.
• The reality found: “A nostalgic charm masking a tragic reality… Cuba now stands as a stark symbol of failed ideology.” (06:44)
• Widespread food shortages, power blackouts, and social media censorship are pervasive. Tourism showcases “buffets” that are meagre even by local standards, highlighting the severe deprivation of ordinary Cubans.

3. US Policy and International Involvement (10:35-14:25; 18:15-22:34)

• Ezra spots the US Ambassador in Cuba performing similar outreach by speaking with everyday citizens—albeit without protective measures like blurred faces—leading to arrests and even personal assault by “regime gangs.”
• US military assets, including an aircraft carrier that supported the Maduro operation in Venezuela, remain stationed in the Caribbean, exerting pressure on the Cuban regime.
• Donald Trump and key policymakers’ perspectives are highlighted:
  • Trump on Cuba: “We’re talking to the people from Cuba, the highest people in Cuba... I think we’re going to make a deal with Cuba.” (18:15)
  • Marco Rubio, himself descended from Cuban emigres, explicitly supports US-backed regime change:

    “There’s no doubt… it would be of great benefit to the United States if Cuba was no longer governed by an autocratic regime.” (19:12)

    • Acknowledges Helms-Burton Act statutorily requires regime change to end the US embargo.

4. Life Under Communism—Local Perceptions and Daily Hardship (10:35-18:00)

• Ezra offers visceral descriptions of living standards in Havana:
  • “The buildings look like they were in a war zone… piles of garbage in the streets because of a shortage of gasoline or diesel; garbage isn’t collected. The blackouts in Havana occur multiple times a day.” (13:30)
  • Contrasts the government elite and tourism industry’s relative privileges with the near-famine experienced by ordinary Cubans.
• Influential quote:

  “If this is the finest food served to foreign currency tourists, imagine what it is to be an actual Cuban person trying to survive… It’s a humanitarian disaster.” (15:22)

5. Events in Venezuela: Precedent and Impact (20:02-23:28)

• Recaps the dramatic US operation to extract Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, calling it “one of the most stunning raids in military history… surely Diaz Canel ought to know that he could be plucked out of there just as easily as Maduro was.” (21:20)
• A new US-backed leader is now in charge in Venezuela, with policy dictated by US interests and unprecedented actions like the arrest of a Hezbollah/Iran point man on Venezuelan soil.

6. Regional Ripple Effects: Political Shifts in Neighbouring Countries (28:40-31:40)

• Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, and other Latin American nations are highlighted as examples of a regional shift towards freedom, with growing resistance to Chinese, Russian, and Iranian influence.
• Ezra speculates Nicaragua and Brazil could be “next” to undergo regime change.

7. Impact on Cuban Exiles and Potential for Rebuilding (31:08-34:20)

• The sizable, affluent Cuban-American exile community, particularly in Florida, is positioned as “ready to return, invest, and rebuild.”
• Ezra predicts rapid reconstruction and resurgence, driven by returning exiles, not just US aid:

  “If you were a banker, if you were an investor and you knew that Cuba… was back and open for business, you wouldn’t need government money… Tourism will come back, housing, will come back… it’s going to be a miracle.” (33:25)

8. Somaliland Segment – A Brief Departure (36:25-41:45)

• Reporter Avi Yemini presents a segment from Somaliland, a stable, democratic, self-declared African republic recognized only by Israel.
• The segment is used to highlight the value of recognizing “societies that defeat extremism.”
• The larger point connects back to Ezra’s theme: the importance of bolstering real democracies and shunning failed states.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We want to provide a megaphone for the world to hear.”
  – Rebel News reporter, segment trailer (03:03)

• “It’s a humanitarian disaster. These resorts... remind me of prisons. The entertainment staff, dancers, singers— they look like prisoners to me. And of course, they are.”
  – Ezra Levant on tourism and daily life in Cuba (15:22)

• “If this is the food for Western tourists, imagine what it is for ordinary Cubans trying to survive.”
  – Ezra Levant (15:25)

• Trump on Cuba:

  “We’re talking to the people from Cuba, the highest people in Cuba... I think we’re going to make a deal with Cuba.” (18:15)

• Marco Rubio on regime change:

  “There’s no doubt… it would be of great benefit to the United States if Cuba was no longer governed by an autocratic regime.” (19:12)

• On the fall of Maduro in Venezuela:

  “One of the most stunning raids in military history… Surely Diaz Canel ought to know that he could be plucked out of there just as easily as Maduro was.” (21:20)

• On the region’s future:

  “Imagine an entire hemisphere free of communism, free of Russian and Chinese and Iranian meddling. I think it’s amazing, and—who cares that Donald Trump didn’t get the actual Nobel Peace Prize? He is creating more peace and ending more dictatorships than anyone else…” (31:08)

• Cuban exile correspondent (listener mail):

  “Thank you, Rebel News, for showing the reality of my country. I’m a Cuban woman living in Toronto, Canada, and it has long passed time to strip away the propaganda… Cuba is a failed state, a country in ruins, and what we need is freedom, not handouts…” (44:10)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00-05:43 — Introduction: Context of US foreign policy, “domino effect” argument, teaser of Cuba mission
• 05:18-10:35 — Cuba documentary trailer excerpts, mission risks, rebel reporters’ statements
• 13:30-17:00 — On-the-ground description of Havana, hardships, tourism contradiction
• 18:15-19:52 — Trump and Marco Rubio direct comments on Cuba policy and regime change
• 20:02-23:28 — Comparisons to Venezuela, new US diplomatic approaches, regional temperature
• 31:08-34:20 — The Cuban exile community’s role in post-regime reconstruction
• 36:25-41:45 — Somaliland segment
• 44:10-46:20 — Listener comments: Cuban exiles and their reaction to Rebel News’ reporting

Tone & Language

• Direct, opinionated, and urgent; asserts a “fight for freedom” narrative throughout.
• Adopts an investigative and sometimes polemical stance, mixing reporting with strong editorialization.
• Vivid, sometimes blunt descriptions of deprivation, hardship, and hope for change.

Conclusion

This episode blends on-the-ground investigations with sweeping geopolitical analysis and advocacy for pro-democracy regime change in Latin America, with a special focus on Cuba’s suffering and near-future prospects. Ezra Levant, through accounts from Rebel News journalists and regional context, champions a narrative of imminent transformation, crediting Trump’s policies and diplomatic interventions as catalytic. The show concludes with listener letters that echo the podcast’s pro-freedom themes, and a call to action for continued support and engagement.