Trump says he’ll ‘take Cuba’ as island faces blackouts and unrest

MIAMI, Florida – Unrest is growing in Cuba as the communist government struggles to cope with islandwide power outages and a collapsing economy. As President Donald Trump hints at changes on the island, the Cuban community in Miami is wondering what will happen next.

The island experienced 67 years of authoritarian rule during which the Cuban Communist Party was the only legal party. Last week, protesters attacked the Communist Party headquarters on the island overnight, looting the building and attempting to set it on fire, according to local news.

“The protesters are braver today than before,” said Jose Collazo, a Cuban immigrant who left the island in the 1960s. “But if you remember when they came out four years ago, they were brutally repressed.”

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Collazo often spends time at Domino Park in the heart of Little Havana, a neighborhood populated by Cuban immigrants in Miami. He and other Cuban Americans gather for friendly but highly competitive games of dominoes and to discuss current events.

There has been a lot of talk lately about the situation in Cuba. Approximately 10 million people were left without electricity when the nationwide power grid collapsed on Monday, according to statements from the US Embassy and Cuban officials. Cuban officials said the outages were linked to fuel shortages and failures at aging power plants.

The entrance to Domino Park in Little Havana on March 18 in Miami, Florida. (Amy Gallo)

There’s also the ongoing economic crisis, which has worsened in recent months after President Trump threatened to impose tariffs on any country sending oil to Cuba.

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“They live like in the Stone Age. Cave people. They live like that. It’s sad to see people. [living with] Malnutrition, living in tattered clothes,” Collazo said.

The rising tensions on the island come as Trump says he expects to have the “honor” of “somehow taking over Cuba” and that “I can do anything I want” with the neighboring country.

Trump told reporters: “Cuba is in very bad shape right now. They’re talking to Marco.” “We’re going to do something with Cuba very soon… We’re interested in Cuba.”

Anti-government protesters gather at the Maximo Gomez monument in Havana, Cuba. Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in several Cuban cities to protest ongoing food shortages and high food prices. (AP Photo/Eliana Aponte)

On Tuesday, Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, also made statements about the island and said “they need to appoint new people” in Havana.

Pentagon officials, meanwhile, told lawmakers they have no plans to invade Cuba, despite describing it as a long-standing security problem.

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The US flag and the Cuban flag are displayed outside Domino Park in Miami, Florida. (Amy Gallo)

“In all the years I’ve been here — I’ve been here 47 years — I think this is the first time I’ve seen really good things happening for Cuba,” said Francisco Botella, a Cuban immigrant living in Miami. “We can say that this time the situation is very unstable. Now the system is collapsing, it is getting much worse.”

Hearing U.S. leaders discuss the situation gives hope to members of the Cuban exile community like Botella and Collazo.

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Botella said, “I think this is the end for Cuba. I really think it is over. Either the communist leaders leave, or what happened to Maduro will happen to them too.”

While Cuban officials continue to blame U.S. sanctions for the country’s economic woes, analysts say the government faces increasing pressure from ongoing power outages, shortages of essential goods and growing public frustration.