US President Donald Trump has said he wants to have “finished with Cuba” before the end of his presidential term in January 2029, leaving unanswered questions about Washington’s next steps towards Havana.
“I want to finish Cuba before I leave,” Trump told a radio host when asked whether he would consider “liberating” Cuba by ordering a military operation.
“We’re watching it very closely. It’s doing very badly. It’s basically a failed place, nation, whatever you want to call it,” the US president continued.
Trump added that the issue was being handled by a “very good, talented guy” called Marco, referring to Secretary of State and White House National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, who is of Cuban descent and a staunch opponent of the government in Havana.
Trump steps up threats against Cuba
The Republican president has repeatedly issued threatening statements about the communist-ruled island this year, describing it as a threat to US national security and declaring that he intends to “take” Cuba, without specifying how.
Cuba, which has been under a US embargo since 1962, is facing mounting pressure from the Trump administration.
Washington tightened its sanctions from January, imposing a de facto oil blockade on the island, which has a population of 9.4 million. The measures have contributed to repeated nationwide power outages and pushed Cuba deeper into an economic and energy crisis.
The US also regularly announces successive waves of sanctions targeting Cuban state-owned companies and leaders.
These measures have included the issuance of an arrest warrant against Raúl Castro, the country's 95-year-old former president.
Source: AMNA
