US President Donald Trump has now floated the idea of the United States pursuing a “friendly takeover of Cuba”. The remark, made while talking to reporters on Friday as he left the White House for Texas, came amid the growing economic pressure on the Caribbean island and a deepening humanitarian crisis.
Referring to Cuba as “a failing nation”, Trump said its government was “in a big deal of trouble”. “They have no money; they have no… anything right now. Maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba,” he told reporters. He was quoted by CBC News as saying that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is a Cuban-American is leading the negotiations with Cuba.
Why Trump is turning up the heat on Cuba
Washington has stepped up pressure on Havana after the January operation that led to the removal of Maduro, a close ally of Cuba.
Tensions between the United States and Cuba stretch back more than six decades, anchored by a US trade embargo imposed in the 1960s, during the Cold War. In fact, the Cuban missile crisis was the closest the Cold War came to becoming a full-scale war or nuclear clash. Over the years, the hostilities thawed but under Trump, that pressure has sharply escalated.
In recent weeks, Washington has effectively choked off much of Cuba’s oil supply. After the US captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro — a key ally of Havana — shipments of subsidised Venezuelan oil to the island drastically came down. To worsen matters for Cuba, Trump then signed an executive order threatening tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba.
New York Times reports that tankers bound for Cuba have been intercepted or turned back, and the US Coast Guard is blocking vessels carrying fuel within several miles of the island. While the administration has stopped short of calling it a blockade, US officials privately described it as functioning like one, the report stated.
The consequences are stark. Frequent blackouts, food shortages and a struggling tourism industry have left the island’s 10 million residents grappling with worsening conditions, reported NYT. The United Nations has warned that the US measures risk violating international law and worsening humanitarian suffering, the report further stated.
What does a ‘friendly takeover of Cuba’ mean?
Trump has not spelled out what a friendly takeover of Cuba would look like. However, the objective may not be regime change in the traditional sense, reported CBC. “There certainly can be commercial opportunities for the United States in Cuba without a change in regime,” an expert was quoted as saying.
Washington may even push Havana to expand its private sector and allow US companies access to tourism, energy, port, and telecom sectors. Just as in Venezuela, ahead of the move against Maduro, US officials secured cooperation from Maduro’s deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, who is now serving as Venezuela’s acting president and has pledged to allow foreign firms access to the country’s vast oil reserves.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio, long critical of the Cuban government, earlier said the island’s future depends on adopting a different economic model and expanding its independent private sector.
Why a US takeover of Cuba matters
The stakes extend beyond Cuba. Aggressive US intervention could provoke geopolitical consequences, particularly involving China, which maintains ties with Havana.
For Trump, the strategy also carries domestic risks. A humanitarian collapse in Cuba could fuel migration to the United States — a sensitive political issue.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has accused Washington of trying to “strangle” the economy and vowed to defend the island’s sovereignty, reported al Jazeera. However, NYT reported that he is ready to negotiate with the US and end the blockade, which is slowly crippling the island nation.
