For months, the official discourse of the Cuban regime regarding Donald Trump was unequivocal.
The U.S. president was presented as the embodiment of contemporary fascism, a leader comparable to Adolf Hitler, responsible for a "criminal" policy against Cuba and determined to provoke the country's collapse.
Today, that very regime claims it would have no problem doing business with him. This is not an interpretation. It is the archives.
In January 2025, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, publicly compared Donald Trump’s doctrine to that of Hitler.
Months later, in May 2026, the diplomat described the U.S. administration as "criminal" for the pressure exerted on Havana.
In those same weeks, Miguel Díaz-Canel described the Trump administration as "fascist", while other spokespeople for the regime spoke of aggression, economic war, and genocidal policies.
That was the official language.
However, this Thursday, in an interview given to the New York Times, Carlos Fernández de Cossío responded very differently when asked about the possibility of Donald Trump or his organization doing business in Cuba.
"If he wants to do it peacefully, we see no specific reason to exclude him," he stated.
And it went even further: "What prohibits Donald Trump from investing in Cuba are U.S. laws. We do not exclude him or his organization from doing business in Cuba, as long as it is done in accordance with Cuban laws."
The contradiction is hard to overlook.
Trump has not changed his policy towards Cuba. The pressure from Washington continues. Sanctions remain the main tool of the U.S. strategy, and the regime itself claims it is facing the most hostile bilateral moment in decades.
What seems to have changed is Havana's interpretation of the situation.
The Cuban economy is going through a critical situation, and the regime desperately needs foreign investment. But there is something more.
In recent months, signs have emerged indicating an attempt to open channels of communication with the Trump administration.
Reports have emerged regarding alleged attempts to establish direct contact with the U.S. president outside of traditional diplomatic channels.
A businessman from the United Arab Emirates proposed a tourism project in Cayo Santa María aimed at attracting the Trump Organization under the provisional name "Trump Island".
And when the New York Times inquired about that possibility, the Deputy Foreign Minister's response was no longer an ideological condemnation, but an invitation for business.
None of these facts, on their own, prove the existence of a coordinated strategy. However, they invite us to question whether the regime is testing a new tactic.
The Venezuelan experience will probably not go unnoticed in Havana.
Despite the immense pressure exerted by Washington, chavismo has managed to remain in power while the transition process remains open and subject to multiple uncertainties. Buying time can also be a form of "creative resistance".
In that context, providing investment opportunities, sending signals of economic pragmatism, or softening the tone towards Donald Trump might be driven less by conviction and more by political calculation: to open channels of communication, explore possible negotiation pathways, and, above all, gain maneuvering room at a particularly delicate moment for the regime.
It may be so. It may not be. What is documented is the change in discourse.
Just a few months ago, Trump was depicted by high-ranking Cuban leaders as a figure comparable to Hitler, at the helm of a "fascist" and "criminal" administration.
Today, the same high-ranking official who made some of those accusations asserts that there is no reason to prevent the U.S. president from doing business in Cuba.
Trump hasn't changed. What has changed is the way the regime speaks about him.
And when a regime abruptly alters the language it uses to describe its main adversary, it is usually worth asking why.
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