The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated on Wednesday that Cuba "is moving closer to our orbit," a comment made during the inauguration of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota. This comes amid the maximum pressure policy that his administration is maintaining on the Cuban regime.
"Cuba, after many, many decades, is getting closer to our orbit," said the leader to those in attendance at the event, according to the agency EFE.
Trump made the statement while recalling the Spanish-American War of 1898 and Theodore Roosevelt's role leading the "Rough Riders" in the battle of San Juan Hill, one of the most iconic episodes of the military campaign that resulted in Spain's departure from Cuba.
"Shortly after they relinquished control of Cuba, Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico, all of them became ours. And speaking of Cuba, after many, many decades, it is coming back to us, coming back to us," the president stated.
Although Trump did not explain what he meant by that approach, his words come in a context of increasing economic and diplomatic pressure on Havana.
Since January 2026, the U.S. administration has progressively tightened sanctions against the Cuban regime, with measures targeting high-ranking officials, state-owned enterprises, and strategic sectors of the economy.
Among the most significant decisions are the sanctions imposed on June 4 against Miguel Díaz-Canel, his wife Lis Cuesta Peraza, and Colonel Alejandro Castro Espín, as well as those adopted a week later against the state-owned enterprise CUPET, responsible for the Cuban oil sector. On June 23, Washington further expanded the list of sanctioned entities by including five new institutions linked to the regime.
The restrictions are occurring amid the worst energy crisis the island has faced in decades, characterized by prolonged blackouts, a severe fuel shortage, and a deep economic contraction.
Trump's reference also adds to a series of increasingly strong statements about Cuba. In recent months, the president has asserted that the island holds a priority position within his foreign policy toward the Western Hemisphere and has advocated for a tough stance against the Cuban regime.
The new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, the venue for the speech, was built with an investment of nearly 450 million dollars, largely funded by private donations. The complex will officially open to the public on July 4th, coinciding with the celebrations for Independence Day in the United States.
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