President Donald Trump of the United States escalated his rhetoric\nagainst Cuba on Monday local time, stating his expectation to obtain the\nhonour of taking control of the island nation in some form and asserting\nhis absolute authority over this neighbouring country.<\/p>\n
This threatening statement emerged precisely as Cuba and the United\nStates opened talks aimed at improving their poor relations. The\nrelationship between the two nations has reached one of the most\ncritical moments in 67 years since Fidel Castro overthrew a close US\nally in the past.<\/p>\n
\u201cI truly believe I will get the honour of taking over Cuba. That is a\ngreat honour. Taking over Cuba in some form,\u201d Trump told reporters as\nthe island faced an unprecedented economic crisis, according to reports\nfrom 17 March 2026.<\/p>\n
Cuba\u2019s economic conditions have been further worsened by an oil\nblockade imposed by the US following the arrest of former Venezuelan\nPresident Nicolas Maduro. Trump made the statement during a signing\nceremony in the Oval Room of the White House.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, whether I free it or take it. I think I can do whatever I\nwant with it. You want to know the truth,\u201d Trump added.<\/p>\n
Following this statement, the New York Times reported that the\nremoval of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel from his position was the\nprimary objective of the US in those bilateral talks. Citing four\nsources familiar with the talks, the United States had signalled to\nCuban negotiators that Diaz-Canel must step down, but left the next\nsteps to the Cuban side.<\/p>\n
Cuba has traditionally rejected all forms of interference in its\ninternal affairs. The Cuban government views any proposal touching on\nthat realm as a deal-breaker for any agreement.<\/p>\n
Miguel Diaz-Canel, aged 65 and who replaced the late Fidel Castro and\nhis brother Ra\u00fal Castro as president in 2018, previously made a\nstatement regarding this diplomatic process. On the previous Friday, he\nexpressed the expectation that talks with the US would be conducted\nfairly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI expect talks with the United States to take place under the\nprinciples of equality and respect for the political systems of both\nnations, sovereignty, and self-determination,\u201d said Diaz-Canel.<\/p>\n
However, after overthrowing Maduro from power and joining Israel in\nattacking Iran, Trump openly contemplated that Cuba would be the next\ntarget. He increased pressure by halting all Venezuelan oil shipments to\nCuba and threatened to impose tariffs on any country selling oil to the\ncommunist nation.<\/p>\n
As a result of this policy, the Cuban government stated it had not\nreceived oil shipments in the last three months and had implemented\nstrict energy rationing, resulting in prolonged power cuts. Much of the\nnation\u2019s economy had ground to a halt, and on Monday the Cuban power\ngrid collapsed entirely, leaving 10 million people without\nelectricity.<\/p>\n
The US leader\u2019s aggressive sentiment was also revealed during his\ntravels a day earlier. Trump confirmed communications, but asserted his\nmilitary priorities lay elsewhere.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are speaking with Cuba, but we will deal with Iran before Cuba,\u201d\nTrump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Although more than a dozen US Presidents over recent decades have\nopposed Cuba\u2019s Communist government and criticised its human rights\nrecord, Washington has hitherto respected the commitment not to attack\nCuba. This was part of an agreement with the Soviet Union to resolve the\nCuban Missile Crisis of 1962, although the White House has yet to\noutline the legal basis for any possible intervention.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/trump-one-step-closer-to-taking-over-this-country-i-can-do-anything-1773759332", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }