On Saturday, President Donald Trump stated that Cuba is eager to engage in negotiations with his administration. This announcement was part of his speech at the Shield of the Americas summit in Miami, which was attended by 12 allied nations from the region.
During his remarks, Trump mentioned that these discussions involve Secretary of State Marco Rubio and himself, expressing confidence that reaching an agreement with Havana could be achieved "very easily."
"They want to negotiate. They're negotiating with me, Marco, and a few others. I believe a deal with Cuba can be reached very easily," Trump remarked.
Trump painted a grim picture of Cuba, describing it as a nation on the brink of economic and political collapse. He claimed that the island is "at the end of the road," lacking both financial resources and oil, attributing its plight to what he termed "a bad philosophy" and "a regime that's been bad for a long time."
The President pointed out that Cuba used to receive support from Venezuela, but that aid has since ceased. "They used to get money from Venezuela. They received oil from Venezuela. But now they have no money from Venezuela, no oil, nothing," he asserted.
As an illustration of the crisis, Trump mentioned that Cuba lacks sufficient fuel for aviation operations. "People can't even... when they land in Cuba, they can't get gas to take off again. They have to leave their planes there," he explained.
Trump emphasized that Cuba's current system is facing its final days, predicting an impending transformation. "Cuba is in its last moments as it has been. It will have a very big new life, but it's in its last moments as it is now," he predicted.
Meanwhile, Trump highlighted that dealing with Iran is the immediate priority for his administration. "Our focus right now is on Iran, and we'll handle that," he stated, before jokingly mentioning Rubio again.
In a lighter moment, Trump suggested that addressing the Cuban issue would be simpler than other foreign policy challenges. "What are you going to do, Marco? Take a couple of days off? No, he won't. Maybe an hour. He'll take an hour off and then finish a deal on Cuba. That'll be an easy one," he quipped.
The President also noted that his foreign policy toward Cuba is part of a broader strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean. "But what we're doing encompasses the whole region," he commented.
Additionally, Trump shared that several attendees at the event urged him to address the Cuban situation. "Many of you came up to me today and said, 'We hope you can take care of Cuba because they've had problems with Cuba,'" he recounted.
He expressed surprise at the persistence of these requests. "I was surprised, but four of you said, 'Could you do us a favor and take care of Cuba?' I'll take care of it, okay," he concluded.
Key Questions About U.S.-Cuba Relations
What did Trump claim about Cuba's current situation?
Trump claimed that Cuba is on the verge of economic and political collapse, lacking financial resources and oil, due to a "bad philosophy" and longstanding regime issues.
How does Trump view a potential agreement with Cuba?
Trump expressed confidence that a deal with Cuba could be reached very easily, involving negotiations with himself, Marco Rubio, and others.
What priority did Trump highlight besides the Cuba issue?
Trump highlighted that his administration's immediate priority is addressing the situation with Iran.