Trump says he can do ‘anything I want’ with Cuba
US President Donald Trump has stepped up his rhetoric towards Cuba, saying he expects to have the “honor” of “somehow taking over Cuba” and that “I can do anything I want” with the neighboring country.
The threatening statements came even as Cuba and the United States began talks aimed at improving their largely negative relationship, which has reached one of its most contentious moments in the 67 years since Fidel Castro overthrew the US’s close ally.
“I believe I will have the honor of taking Cuba. It’s a great honor. To take Cuba in some way,” Trump told reporters on Monday, at a time when the island is facing an unprecedented economic crisis worsened by a U.S. oil blockade after capturing former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
“I mean, if I release it, take it. I think I can do anything I want with it. You want to know the truth,” Trump told reporters at a signing event in the Oval Office.
After Trump’s speech, the New York Times reported that the removal of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel was one of the main goals of the United States in bilateral talks.
Citing four people familiar with the talks, the Times said the Americans signaled to Cuban negotiators that Diaz-Canel must leave but left the next steps to the Cubans.
Cuba has traditionally rejected any interference in its internal affairs and considered any proposals on this front to be a deal-breaker.
Diaz-Canel, 65, who replaced Fidel Castro and his brother Raul Castro in 2018, said on Friday that he expected talks with the United States to take place “under the principles of equality and respect for the political systems of both countries, sovereignty and self-determination.”
But Trump clearly thought Cuba would be “next” after removing Maduro from power and joining Israel in attacking Iran.
He stepped up the pressure by halting all Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and threatening to impose tariffs on any country selling oil to Cuba.
As a result, Cuba says it has not received oil shipments for three months and the country has implemented severe energy rationing, resulting in long power outages. Much of its economy came to a halt. Cuba’s power grid collapsed on Monday, leaving the country with a population of 10 million without electricity.
On Sunday, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One: “We’re talking to Cuba, but we’re going to deal with Iran before Cuba.”
The White House has yet to explain the legal basis for any possible intervention in Cuba.
