President Donald Trump dismissed any possibility of a U.S. military action in Cuba after Washington Examiner directly asked him if operations on the Island could trigger further conflicts with drug cartels and other anti-American actors in Latin America.
The leader's response was brief and categorical: "That is not going to happen."
The statement was made during a telephone interview on Thursday morning with that outlet, which sought to inquire about Trump’s plans regarding Cuba.
The newspaper suggested that a military operation on the Caribbean island could generate new regional tensions, to which the president responded by denying that scenario.
The inquiry from Washington Examiner was based on a previous remark by Trump himself, who had stated that Cuba would be next on his list once their operations in Iran were finished.
However, on this occasion, the president deviated from the idea of a military intervention and stated that "that is not going to happen," without providing further details on what kind of policy he would pursue towards Havana.
The statement about Cuba emerged within a broader conversation focused on the war with Iran and Trump's international stance.
After more than a week of military campaign on Iranian territory, the president no longer wanted to discuss the possibility of receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, a topic he was also questioned about during that call.
"I don't know," he responded when asked if the Epic Fury Operation could help him achieve that recognition. "I'm not interested."
The report from the outlet places those words in a particularly tense context. The United States is investigating a Tomahawk missile attack on the Shajarah Tayyebeh primary school in Minab, Iran, which occurred on February 28, the first day of the war, resulting in the deaths of approximately 175 girls.
Trump himself stated that he would accept the results of his administration's investigation into that attack, although he also suggested that Iran might have been responsible.
In that context of military offensives in Iran, speculations about the upcoming movements of the White House, and questions regarding Trump's foreign policy in the hemisphere, the president's statement about Cuba marks a clear distinction regarding the possibility of U.S. military action on the Island.
A "friendly takeover"?
The President of the United States had already claimed that Cuba could end up under a "friendly acquisition."
The president assured that the Cuban regime is facing a serious economic and energy crisis.
“They are operating on what they call vapors. They have no energy, no money. They are in serious trouble from a humanitarian perspective,” he noted.
Trump also stated that the Cuban government sustained itself for years thanks to support from Venezuela, particularly through the supply of oil, but he asserted that this situation has changed.
The leader added that his administration has increased economic and political pressure on the Cuban regime and stated that the situation could be resolved through an agreement.
Negotiations with Cuba
Trump's statements came one day before Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed that Cuban officials have held talks with representatives of the United States government, aimed at "seeking solutions through dialogue to bilateral differences."
Díaz-Canel specified that the discussions have been conducted at the highest level: "Led by the Army General as the historical leader of our revolution and by me, and in coordination with the top structure of the party, the state, and the government," he stated, making a clear reference to Raúl Castro.
The announcement represents a 180-degree turn from the official stance maintained for weeks.
The leader outlined four purposes of the discussions: to identify the most serious bilateral issues, to find solutions, to determine the willingness of both parties, and to explore areas of cooperation for regional security.
He also pointed out that "there are international factors that have facilitated these exchanges" and that the Cuban side demands that the process be carried out "on the basis of equality and respect for the political systems of both states."
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