President Trump says Cuba may or may not do a ‘friendly takeover’
President Donald Trump has said the United States may or may not take a “friendly takeover” of Cuba.
- Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has said he will not resign even if pressured by the United States during diplomatic negotiations.
- U.S. and Cuban officials met to discuss the future of their relationship, including expanding economic ties.
- Diaz-Canel was handpicked by former leader Raul Castro and is known as a believer in communist principles.
Rebellious Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has said he will not resign as Cuba’s president even under pressure from U.S. officials during talks between the two countries.
His remarks were broadcast April 9 in Havana during an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press anchor Kristen Welker.
Pressed by Welker whether he would consider resigning if the United States insists, Diaz-Canel leans forward in his seat.
“Can you ask Trump that question?” he added. “The people in leadership positions in Cuba are not elected by the U.S. government. They have no mandate from the U.S. government.”
Díaz-Canel’s comments followed news that U.S. and Cuban officials had met to discuss the future relationship between the two long-standing Cold War rivals. Trump administration officials said the first meeting focused on expanding economic ties between the United States and Cuba.
When reports of the talks first surfaced, Rubio stressed that Cuba’s “status quo” was unacceptable, but warned that change on the island could take time. “You don’t have to change everything at once,” he says. “It doesn’t have to change from one day to the next…but Cuba needs to change. It needs to change dramatically.”
He later hardened his view that Cuba could only change with new leadership.
“The bottom line is their economy is not working. It’s a dysfunctional economy,” Rubio said at a White House meeting last month. “They’re in a lot of trouble, but the people in charge don’t know how to fix it, so they have to hire new people.”
President Trump has expressed a desire for an “agreement” with Cuba, stating that the country “could face a friendly takeover. It may not be a friendly takeover,” and that he is prepared to use the U.S. government’s influence over Cuba.
Díaz-Canel was chosen as his successor by Cuba’s former leader Raúl Castro, the brother of Fidel Castro, who led the revolution that overthrew the Cuban government in 1959, and is known for adhering to the country’s communist principles.
The talks between the United States and Cuba come as the United States has imposed a de facto oil embargo on the island nation, blocking oil that previously arrived from Venezuela and plunging Cuba into an energy crisis. Prolonged power outages have gripped the island, and hospitals are struggling to provide adequate treatment.
Diaz-Canel said in an interview that he welcomes talks with the United States but is against any conditions.
“We’re interested in engaging in dialogue and discussing any topic without reservation,” he said. “Just as we don’t want changes in the American system, we don’t want changes in our political system.”
