President Donald Trump signaled a major shift in U.S. foreign policy on Monday, suggesting he is prepared to take direct control of Cuba as the island nation reels from a nationwide blackout and a tightening U.S. oil blockade.
Speaking from the Oval Office, the 79-year-old president told reporters he believes he will have the “honor of taking Cuba,” claiming he possesses the authority to do “anything” he wants with the Caribbean nation. The remarks come as the U.S. maintains high-intensity military campaigns against Iran and continues the imprisonment of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
“All my life I’ve been hearing about the United States and Cuba. ‘When will the United States do it?’” Trump said. “Whether I free it, take it. I think I could do anything I want with it, you want to know the truth?”
Escalating Pressure on Havana
The president’s comments follow a total collapse of the Cuban power grid on Monday morning. The energy crisis is a direct result of a U.S. blockade on oil shipments, bolstered by a January executive order threatening punitive tariffs on any nation delivering fuel to the island.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed on Friday that while high-level talks with the Trump administration have occurred, no fuel has entered the country in three months. The shortage has paralyzed the nation of 10 million, resulting in:
- The cancellation of tens of thousands of surgeries.
- Systemic failures in food and water distribution.
- A nationwide disruption of the academic school year.
Cuba is currently attempting to sustain basic services using thermoelectric plants, natural gas, and solar panels, though officials admit these are insufficient to meet national demand.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/Miguel-Diaz-Canel-031726-cdedde4e11fa4029bdbb4a40c0700a33.jpg)
The “Friendly Takeover” Strategy
The administration appears to be moving toward a “regime change” outcome. Earlier this month, President Trump predicted the Cuban government would “fall pretty soon” and announced plans to dispatch Secretary of State Marco Rubio to negotiate what he termed a “friendly takeover.”
Rubio, a son of Cuban immigrants and a career-long critic of the Havana government, has been a primary architect of the administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign in the Caribbean.
When asked by Fox News’ Peter Doocy if a Cuban intervention would mirror the smaller-scale operations seen in Venezuela or the massive, high-casualty campaign currently unfolding against Iran, the president remained ambiguous on the specific military “footprint,” focusing instead on the perceived weakness of the Cuban state.
“They’re a very weakened nation right now,” Trump said on Monday. “They were for a long time, very violent, very violent leaders.”
Historical Context and Economic Fallout
The current escalation represents the most significant tension between the two nations since the Cold War. While the U.S. embargo dates back to the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations, the Trump administration has leveraged modern secondary sanctions to effectively isolate the island from global energy markets.
Despite the rhetoric, there are signs of desperation within the Cuban leadership. A top economic official told NBC News on Monday that Havana is now open to unprecedented levels of foreign investment, including from U.S. firms. However, President Díaz-Canel has remained defiant regarding his own resignation, labeling the U.S. oil blockade “evil” and a violation of international norms.
As the blackout continues, the White House has not yet provided a timeline for Secretary Rubio’s potential mission to Havana or clarified if “taking” the island implies a formal annexation or a transitional military government.
