Trump says it would be “a great honor” to “take Cuba” as Washington presses Havana in talks
The energy crisis has worsened since Cuba went three months without fuel imports, according to Díaz-Canel’s remarks
U.S. President Donald Trump sharply escalated his rhetoric toward Cuba on Monday, saying it would be “a great honor” for him to “take Cuba in some form” and that he can “do anything” he wants with the island. The comments came as Cuba was enduring a nationwide blackout and while bilateral contacts acknowledged by both governments since last week continued in the background.
Trump made the remarks to reporters at the White House at a time when Washington has been increasing pressure on Havana amid Cuba’s energy crisis. After Trump’s comments, The New York Times said the removal of President Miguel Díaz-Canel was a key U.S. objective in the ongoing talks, citing four people familiar with the discussions.
So far, the Cuban government has not formally responded to Trump’s latest remarks, but Díaz-Canel said on Friday that talks with Washington must take place under principles of “equality and respect” for both countries’ political systems, as well as sovereignty and self-determination. He also confirmed that Cuba was engaging in those contacts while facing a deepening economic emergency.
The verbal escalation coincides with a sharp deterioration in conditions on the island. Cuba suffered a “complete disconnection” of its national electric system on Monday, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mines, in another grid collapse amid fuel shortages, aging infrastructure and rolling power cuts. AP reported that only a small part of Havana had electricity restored by nightfall.
The energy crisis has worsened since Cuba went three months without fuel imports, according to Díaz-Canel’s remarks. That deterioration has pushed the country to open talks with the United States and to consider fresh economic steps, including allowing broader investment by Cubans living abroad, in an effort to attract capital during a severe downturn.
Trump’s remarks add further uncertainty to the purpose of those negotiations. The White House has still not detailed the legal basis for any possible action against Cuba, while Washington’s standing position since the 1962 missile crisis has been not to invade the island or support a direct invasion. For now, the picture is one of open talks, rising political pressure and an internal crisis that continues to deepen.
