The president Donald Trump announced this Wednesday to NBC News that thousands of Cubans expelled from their country will have the option to return, in what he described as a long-awaited event.
“We are in talks with Cuba. We have tens of thousands of people who were expelled from there. They may want to return. They will have that option. For years, there was talk of this happening, and now it is occurring,” the leader stated during an interview with the television network.
Trump did not provide additional details, but his statement undoubtedly references the various generations of Cuban exiles who have left the island since 1959.
If it materializes, it would be the first time that a U.S. president publicly raises the possibility of voluntary return for individuals who left Cuba for political or economic reasons.
The statement comes in the context of profound changes in the region, following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and the transition in Venezuela, and while the Cuban government is facing one of the worst economic and social crises in its recent history.
Trump's words could have a significant impact among Cuban-Americans who have family ties to the island, especially in Florida, where the largest Cuban community outside the country resides.
"For years, this has been talked about, and now it's happening," Trump repeated, in what seems to be a preview of broader decisions related to immigration policy towards Cuba.
Additionally, President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday that the United States is in dialogue with Cuba, which could signal a new chapter in the relationship between the two countries after more than six decades of tensions.
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