Overwhelming Majority of South Florida Cubans Favor US Military Intervention

A new Bendixen & Amandi poll reveals overwhelming support among South Florida Cubans for US military intervention and rejection of deals keeping the regime in power.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 18, 2026, 6:14 AM EDT

Source: CubaNet

Survey Demographics and Core Findings

The telephone survey, conducted between April 6 and 10, 2026, sampled 800 Cubans and Cuban Americans across Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe counties. With a margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points, the data shows a significant tilt toward interventionist policies. Specifically, 36% of respondents favor military action focused solely on overthrowing the government, while another 38% support a combined operation addressing both regime change and the island's humanitarian crisis. Fernand Amandi, president of Bendixen & Amandi International, noted that the current political climate strikingly mirrors the tensions of 1961.

Rejection of Economic Pacts Without Political Change

A critical takeaway from the poll is the community's refusal to accept economic improvements if they do not lead to a democratic transition. Seventy-eight percent of those surveyed disapproved of any pact that keeps the current leadership standing in exchange for economic shifts. Furthermore, 77% stated they would be dissatisfied with negotiations that produced better living conditions but failed to secure free elections. This sentiment is reinforced by a 68% disapproval rating for talks that might inadvertently strengthen the communist government, the same percentage that supports limiting oil shipments to the island.

Perceptions of the Humanitarian Crisis and Sanctions

The survey also addressed the root causes of Cuba's current economic paralysis. Seventy-three percent of respondents attributed the island's humanitarian and economic failures more to the Cuban government’s internal policies than to U.S.-imposed sanctions. This perspective influences the community's reluctance to engage economically under the status quo; only 2% of those polled indicated a willingness to invest in Cuba while the current government remains in power. Over half (51%) stated they would only consider investment under a democratic system with a modernized legal framework.