Donald Trump has declared he expects to have “the honour of taking Cuba”, after a US-imposed oil blockade plunged the country into a total power blackout. The US president told reporters on Monday that he could do “anything I want” with Cuba, amid ongoing negotiations between Washington and Havana.
“You know, all my life I’ve been hearing about the United States and Cuba. When will the United States do it?” Trump said at the White House. “I do believe I’ll be … having the honour of taking Cuba. Whether I free it, take it – think I could do anything I want with it. You want to know the truth. They’re a very weakened nation right now.”
Shortly after his remarks, the New York Times reported that US officials had told Cuba to remove its president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, from power during recent talks, citing four unnamed sources. The US has intensified pressure on Cuba since seizing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January, cutting off Venezuelan oil shipments and threatening tariffs on any country selling oil to Cuba, which has crippled its power grid.
Toppling Díaz-Canel would remove a key figurehead while leaving the Communist regime intact. Cuba has traditionally rejected foreign interference, and Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, has long advocated for regime change. Trump has called for a “friendly takeover” but recently added, “It may not be a friendly takeover.”
Díaz-Canel, 65, who succeeded Fidel Castro and his brother Raúl, said on Friday he expected talks with the US to proceed “under the principles of equality and respect for the political systems of both countries, sovereignty and self-determination.”
