U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said “Cuba is next” during a speech at an investment forum in Miami during which he touted the successes of U.S. military action in Venezuela and Iran.
While the president did not specify what precisely he plans to do with the island nation, he has frequently said he believes the government in Havana, facing a severe economic crisis, is on the verge of collapse.
His administration has opened up negotiations with elements of Cuba’s leadership in recent weeks, while Trump himself has hinted that kinetic action could be possible.
“I built this great military. I said, ‘You’ll never have to use it.’ But sometimes you have to use it. And Cuba is next by the way,” Trump told the conference on Friday.
“But pretend I didn’t say that. Pretend I didn’t.”
Cuba’s Economic Crisis
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has acknowledged that the country is in talks with the United States in a bid to avert potential military confrontation. Cuba’s economy has been battered by disruptions in oil imports, which it relies on to run power plants and transportation.
Prior to the U.S. operation to capture now-deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January, Venezuela had provided much of Cuba’s oil needs, but Caracas’ new government, under pressure from Washington, has ended those shipments.
Earlier in March, Trump had said Cuba may be subject to a “friendly takeover,” before adding: “It may not be a friendly takeover.”
What Happens Next
Trump’s latest comments have raised concerns about potential U.S. military action against Cuba, which would mark a significant escalation in Washington’s posture toward the island nation. With Cuba already reeling from economic collapse and energy shortages, any further pressure — diplomatic or military — could push the government to its breaking point.
For now, negotiations continue, but Trump’s public warning suggests that time may be running out for Havana.
Based on reporting by Steve Holland and Gram Slattery for Reuters. Additional analysis by The Credibility News.
