United States President Donald Trump announced on Friday that his administration is prioritizing Cuba, claiming that Havana is eager for an agreement. He hinted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio might take charge of this issue.
“They want to make a deal, so I’m going to put Marco there and see how it works out. We're very focused on this right now. We've got plenty of time, but Cuba is ready after 50 years,” Trump stated in a phone interview with CNN journalist Dana Bash.
During the conversation, Trump also suggested that “Cuba will fall very soon,” mentioning the topic while discussing what he described as the military successes of his administration.
The president brought up the matter spontaneously, emphasizing the Cuban regime's interest in engaging with Washington.
“Cuba will fall very soon, by the way, unrelated to the topic at hand, but Cuba will also fall. They are eager to make a deal,” he remarked.
Trump reiterated his long-standing observation of the Cuban situation, suggesting that current circumstances might present an opportunity for change on the Island.
“I've been watching it for 50 years, and it has fallen into my hands because of me; it has fallen, but still, it has fallen into hands. And we are doing very well,” he added, according to the document provided.
Rubio's potential role was a focal point in Trump's comments. The president suggested that the Secretary of State would be in charge of handling Cuba if the White House decides to move forward in that direction.
The document summarized this idea: “I’m going to send Marco there, and we'll see how it goes!” along with the assertion that Rubio “has been waiting for Cuba.”
The statements came just a day after Trump again mentioned Cuba at the White House.
According to the document, on Wednesday, the president hinted that the issue holds significant importance on his administration's agenda, stating that it was only a "matter of time" before Cuban Americans could return to their homeland as a possible outcome of the political changes he envisions for the Island.
In that previous intervention, Trump referred again to Rubio when discussing his administration's foreign strategy.
“He’s doing a job, and the next one will be: we want to deal with that special Cuba,” he said about the Secretary of State. He added: “He’s waiting. But he says, ‘Let’s finish this first.’ We could do it all at once, but bad things happen.”
The president explained that his administration prefers to advance gradually in international politics.
“If we look at countries over the years, we see that if we do everything too quickly, bad things happen. We’re not going to let anything bad happen to this country,” he affirmed, according to the document's content.
These statements come amidst significant tensions in U.S. foreign policy and during Cuba's economic and social crisis, marked—according to the text—by food shortages, prolonged blackouts, and an unprecedented wave of migration.
During his first term, Trump adopted a hardline approach toward the Cuban government, reversing much of the thaw initiated by Barack Obama.
His administration imposed new economic sanctions, restricted travel and remittances, and re-designated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Since then, bilateral relations have been characterized by political confrontation. Washington continues to denounce human rights violations on the Island, while the Cuban government accuses the United States of maintaining economic pressure aimed at forcing a system change.
U.S.-Cuba Relations and Trump's Policies
Why is Trump focusing on Cuba now?
Trump believes that current circumstances might present an opportunity for political changes in Cuba, and he feels Cuba is eager for an agreement with the United States.
What role does Marco Rubio play in Trump's Cuba strategy?
Trump suggested that Secretary of State Marco Rubio could lead the efforts to manage the U.S.-Cuba relations if the administration decides to pursue changes in that area.
How has U.S. policy toward Cuba changed under Trump's administration?
Trump's administration reversed many policies from the Obama era, imposing new sanctions, restricting travel and remittances, and re-listing Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism.