President Donald Trump suggested on Friday that the United States might pursue what he called a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, stating that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is managing the situation at the highest levels of government.
Speaking to reporters before departing for Texas, Trump indicated that Cuban officials have been in communication with the U.S. government. “The Cuban government is talking with us, and they’re in a big deal of trouble,” Trump stated. “They have no money. They have no anything right now, but they’re talking with us, and maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba.”
The president characterized Cuba as a struggling country requiring significant changes, noting he had been aware of the island’s problems since childhood.
“I can see that happening. Marco Rubio is dealing on it and at a very high level,” Trump explained. “They have no money, they have no oil, they have no food. And it’s really right now a nation in deep trouble and they want our help.”
However, Cuban officials have stated they are not engaged in any formal high-level negotiations with the United States. The government has not completely dismissed media reports suggesting U.S. representatives may be conducting informal discussions with Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, who is the grandson of former Cuban leader Raul Castro.
According to Axios reporting earlier this month, Rubio has been conducting confidential discussions with the former leader’s grandson. The Miami Herald reported Thursday that U.S. officials connected to Rubio met with Castro’s grandson again during this week’s Caribbean Community conference in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Relations between the two nations have become more strained following this week’s deadly maritime incident. Cuban military forces killed four Cuban exiles and injured six others when their Florida-registered speedboat entered Cuban waters and fired upon a Cuban patrol vessel. Rubio has stated this was not a U.S.-sponsored operation and confirmed no American government personnel participated.
This confrontation occurred while the United States continues blocking nearly all petroleum deliveries to the island, intensifying economic pressure on Cuba’s Communist leadership. The situation changed further last month when U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, eliminating a crucial Cuban ally.
In recent weeks, Rubio has strongly criticized Cuba’s government, declaring the current situation unsustainable and insisting the country must undergo “dramatic” transformation.
The Cuban exile community, primarily based in Miami, has historically hoped for the Cuban government’s collapse or overthrow, having previously organized efforts against the regime established by the late revolutionary Fidel Castro.
Trump referenced this community when discussing potential benefits of U.S. involvement in Cuba. He suggested such action could be “something good … very positive” for individuals who were forced to leave the country.
“We have people living here that want to go back to Cuba, and they’re very happy with what’s going on,” Trump commented.
