The president Donald Trump stated this Tuesday, from the remodeling project of the east wing of the White House, that the United States can resolve the situation in Cuba regardless of whether the regime changes or not, and that reaching a diplomatic agreement with Havana is something he considers possible.
In response to a journalist's question about whether he believes the agreement is viable, Trump answered without hesitation: «With Cuba, I think so. Yes, I think so».
The president praised the Cuban-American community as "incredible people" who have lost family members, have suffered greatly, and have overcome challenges in the United States.
"I'm very, very willing to help you. I believe I received 97% of that vote. I want to help you now. You have family in Cuba. They have been treated very, very poorly," he stated.
When the journalist asked him if he could achieve that without changing the regime, Trump was direct: "Well, I don't know about changing the regime. I can do it, whether or not the regime changes. You know, it has been a harsh regime. They have killed a lot of people. But it's a country that really needs help. They have nothing. They can't turn on the lights. They can't eat. We don't want to see that."
The statements come amid an intense sequence of diplomatic efforts and pressure.
On May 14, the CIA director, John Ratcliffe, visited Havana —the highest-level direct contact between both countries on Cuban soil since 2016— and conveyed to the regime that Cuba "can no longer serve as a platform for adversaries to advance hostile agendas in our hemisphere."
After that visit, Trump wrote on Truth Social: "Cuba is asking for help, and we're going to talk!" and added that the regime would have to "come to us."
The Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez acknowledged that they have begun "a process of exchanges" with Washington, although the regime has established "red lines" and refuses to negotiate its sovereignty.
In parallel to the rhetorical opening, the magazine Politico revealed this Monday that the Trump administration is considering military options against Cuba, from targeted airstrikes to a ground invasion, following the failure of economic pressure. A White House official clarified that this planning "does not mean that the president has made a decision."
The Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed skepticism last week on Fox News: "I don't think it's going to happen. I don't believe we can change the trajectory of Cuba while these people are in charge."
The humanitarian backdrop that Trump describes is real and documented.
The UN in April that the Cuban energy crisis has a "systemic and increasingly significant" impact and revised its response plan to assist approximately 2 million people in 63 municipalities across eight provinces, following at least four massive blackouts in four months, including a total disconnection of the National Electric System on March 22.
Tomorrow, the Department of Justice is expected to announce a federal criminal indictment against Raúl Castro, 94 years old, for the downing of airplanes from Brothers to the Rescue on February 24, 1996, a move that will add more pressure on the regime's leadership at a time when Trump claims to be willing to negotiate.
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