President Donald Trump stated this Monday that his administration could turn its attention to Cuba once it concludes other matters, describing the island as a "bankrupt nation" that "has been horribly mismanaged for many years by Castro."
The statements were made during a press conference where Trump was questioned about an apparent contradiction in his policy: he had previously promised to impose tariffs on countries that sent fuel to Cuba but then indicated that he had no issue with those shipments.
In response to the question, the leader replied ambiguously: "Let's see what happens with Cuba. Cuba is another story. Cuba has been a terribly governed country for a long time. It has a bad system. It has been very oppressive, as you know."
Trump also emphasized the support of the Cuban-American community, stating that "almost entirely voted for me" and that many have family members who "have been killed, beaten, and assaulted" on the island.
"Cuba is a bankrupt nation. And we are going to do this. And maybe we'll stop in Cuba after we finish with this", the president stated.
The statements made this Monday represent the latest escalation in a rhetoric that Trump has intensified over the past few weeks. In March, he stated that he would have the honor of taking Cuba if he liberates it.
On March 29, at the FII Priority Summit in Miami, he stated Cuba is next, only to add immediately: "Please, pretend I didn't say that."
One day later, aboard Air Force One, he stated: "in a short time, it will fail, and we will be there to assist it."
This verbal escalation is part of the maximum pressure campaign that Washington has been executing against Havana since January 2026, when Trump signed Executive Order 14380, which designated Cuba as an "unusual threat" to the national security of the United States and imposed tariffs on countries that supply it with oil.
In the diplomatic realm, the Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal confirmed on Wednesday to the AFP agency that there is no structured negotiation between Cuba and the United States, only "initial contacts."
The Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been more direct in his demands: its system of governance must change, he stated in March, summarizing Washington's position towards a regime that is projected to experience a 7.2% decline in GDP by 2026, which would represent a cumulative drop of 23% since 2019.
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