President Donald Trump said this Thursday that his administration wants to "open Cuba to Cuban-Americans so that they can return and help," according to a statement made to NBC News. He also dismissed the idea that the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the Caribbean is intended to intimidate the Cuban government.
The statements were made when journalist Gabe Gutierrez directly asked if the Nimitz, which arrived in the Caribbean on Wednesday, was a sign of military pressure towards Havana.
"No, not at all," Trump replied.
"Cubans, look, it is a failed country. Everyone knows that. They have no electricity. They have no money. They really have nothing. They have no food. And we are going to help them," the president emphasized.
The president explained that his main motivation is the Cuban-American community, which he described as "an amazing, industrious group of people; they are simply great Americans."
"They have wanted this to happen. They want to return to their country. They want to help their country. I hope they stay here, but they want to go back. They want to invest in their country and, you know, see if they can revive it," he stated.
Trump also expressed his conviction that he will be the one to achieve a historic change on the island: "Other presidents have looked at this for 50, 60 years doing something, and it seems like I will be the one to do it. So I would be happy to do it."
The deployment of the Nimitz is part of the Southern Seas 2026 operation, the eleventh edition of the exercise since 2007, with scheduled stops in Brazil, Chile, Panama, and Jamaica.
The strike group includes the destroyer USS Gridley and the replenishment ship USNS Patuxent.
The statements come at a time of maximum pressure from Washington on Havana.
Since January 2026, the Trump administration has imposed more than 240 sanctions against Cuba and intercepted at least seven oil tankers destined for the island. An executive order signed on May 1 further expanded economic restrictions.
The impact on the Cuban population is devastating: the sanctions are estimated to have reduced energy imports by between 80% and 90%, causing blackouts of up to 25 hours a day in over 55% of the territory.
In parallel, the diplomatic context shows contradictory signals.
In April, the first face-to-face meeting known between representatives of both governments took place, and the Cuban regime announced in March that it would allow emigrants to invest in the private sector of the island.
However, analysts consider those measures insufficient under current laws.
Military tension has also escalated: on May 17, Axios reported that Cuba had acquired more than 300 military drones of Russian and Iranian origin, and on May 18, Politico reported that the Southern Command had begun planning exercises for potential contingency scenarios related to the island.
Trump had already indicated his stance on May 12 on Truth Social, when he wrote that "Cuba is asking for help and we will talk." This Thursday, he was more explicit about the role he envisions for the diaspora: "We want to open it up to Cuban Americans so they can return and help."
Filed under: