President Trump told reporters on February 27, “It is very likely that we will end up with a friendly takeover of Cuba.”
President Trump says the US could have a ‘friendly occupation’ of Cuba
President Donald Trump said Cuba is in a “severe” financial crisis. He proposed a “friendly takeover” of Caribbean nations.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said the United States could stage a “friendly takeover of Cuba” as fuel shortages weigh on the authoritarian government in Havana following a U.S. military raid that captured nearby Venezuela’s leader and a gruesome gunfight off Cuba involving American citizens.
“We’ll probably end up in a friendly occupation of Cuba,” President Trump told reporters as he left the White House for a trip to Texas on February 27. “It is very likely that we will end up with a friendly occupation of Cuba.”
The United States is under intense economic pressure on Cuba, which has long relied on oil shipments from longtime ally Venezuela. Those shipments were blocked after President Trump authorized a military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The Trump administration eased policy this week as the crisis in Cuba deepens.
The Venezuela operation raised questions about whether the United States could take action against Cuba, where the Trump administration has taken a hard line against the communist government. President Trump called on Cuban leaders to “make a deal” and said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was engaging with Havana “at a very high level.”
President Trump said on February 27: “They don’t have money, they don’t have oil, they don’t have food. And they’re a country in deep trouble right now, and they’re asking for our help.”
For weeks, the Trump administration has been trying to use Cuba’s fuel crisis to force change on the island.
On January 11, the president posted on social media: “There’s no more oil or money going to Cuba, zero! I strongly suggest a deal before it’s too late.”
A shootout over a stolen American speedboat that entered Cuban waters this week made the situation even more tense. The Cuban government said the men on the boat opened fire on Cuban border guards and fired back, killing four people and wounding six others.
Cuban officials said the men involved were Cuban nationals with violent criminal histories. U.S. officials announced on February 26 that several of the men had criminal records. Two of the people, including the one killed, are U.S. citizens. This issue is under investigation.
Contributors: Rick Jervis, Kim Hjelmgaard, Jayme Fraser, CA Bridges
