The U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, assured on Monday that any agreement President Donald Trump reaches with Cuba will directly benefit the American people, while defending the White House's strategy of using "energy dominance" as a diplomatic tool against authoritarian regimes.
In an interview granted to Fox News, Burgum stated that "with President Trump, you know that any deal he makes will be good for the American people."
He added that this policy "is just another example of how he understands that energy dominance leads to peace abroad, prosperity at home, and enables energy diplomacy."
The official explained that Cuba "was colluding with the corrupt Venezuelan government, sending security forces and receiving oil in exchange," but emphasized that the current administration "is enforcing the sanctions, unlike previous governments, such as Biden's, which allowed countries like Iran, Russia, or China to continue benefiting from the sale of crude oil."
"When President Trump imposes sanctions, he does it seriously. This creates a negotiating advantage, and good things happen for the United States," concluded Burgum, emphasizing that the administration's energy policy aims to ensure independence, stability, and negotiating power against adversarial countries.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, revealed this Sunday that his administration is maintaining conversations with high-ranking officials of the Cuban regime to explore a possible agreement with the island.
During statements to the press from his residence in Mar-a-Lago, in Florida, the president asserted that Washington is “talking to people at the highest levels in Cuba to see what happens” and acknowledged that his goal is to achieve an understanding that benefits both the Cubans on the island and those living in exile.
Cuba is a failed nation. It has been for a long time, but now it no longer has Venezuela to support it,” Trump said, referring to the energy and financial collapse of the regime following the fall of Chavismo and the end of oil shipments.
The president indicated that he wants to ensure that Cubans who emigrated to the United States "after being horribly treated by the regime" can be acknowledged and supported.
"I want those people to be taken care of, to be able to return and do what they need to do. Many have their families there and haven't seen them in years," he expressed.
Trump reiterated his intention to reach an agreement with Havana, although he did not specify the terms or conditions.
"I believe we are going to make a deal with Cuba," he said, emphasizing that the current situation on the island is unsustainable and that his administration "is closely monitoring what happens within the country."
The president's statements come amid a tightening of economic and diplomatic pressure on the regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel.
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