Donald Trump asserted this Saturday that his goal is to "open Cuba to our people" and to make it easier for Cuban-Americans to return to the island, while currently ruling out military intervention and supporting a negotiated agreement with Havana.
"Cuba is failing spectacularly. We want to help Cuba. We want to open Cuba to our people. We have great Cuban-Americans who want to return," the leader stated to reporters at the White House in response to questions about reports of military preparations in the region.
The statements come a day after CBS News revealed that the U.S. Army Reserve had asked its commanders to assess the availability of six types of units — medical, military police, engineers, and logistics — for Southern Command within a period of 90 to 120 days.
Multiple sources clarified that the internal document does not directly mention Cuba and does not constitute a deployment order, but rather a contingency plan.
Trump did not completely rule out the use of force—consistent with his usual stance of not excluding any option—but he was explicit that his preference is for a negotiated agreement: "I don't think we need to resort to military action."
The immediate context of these words is a week of intense rhetorical escalation. Last Tuesday, before the UN General Assembly, Trump labeled Cuba a "failed state" that "will fall" and stated that "freedom will come to Cuba," remarks that led to the Cuban delegation leaving the room during his speech.
In that same forum, Trump stated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio "continues to negotiate with Cuba," something that Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla categorically denied: "There are no negotiations," the minister declared in September.
Rubio has led a sanctions campaign that, since January 2026, has accumulated more than two dozen rounds against Cuban entities and officials in sectors such as nickel, energy, medical missions, the GAESA business conglomerate, and the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces.
On September 17, Rubio announced sanctions against eight entities and three individuals linked to the Cuban military apparatus and the nickel sector, and on September 24, he opened the door to work with figures from the regime in a potential political transition.
The Cuban regime, for its part, has maintained a rhetoric of resistance, warning on multiple occasions that it will "defend its sovereignty 'to the last consequences'" and even with arms in the face of any threat of intervention.
According to Reuters, Trump's statements this Saturday represent the most conciliatory tone the president has publicly adopted regarding Cuba in weeks, although economic pressure and military options remain on the table.
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