What Is Happening Between Trump and Cuba?
For years Cuba has been plagued with wide-scale failure of power grids, nationwide blackouts, fuel shortages, and high tensions with the United States. Following the capture of Maduro on Jan. 3, the U.S. cut off all supply of Venezuelan oil to Cuba and threatened to impose tariffs on any country that supplies Cuba with fuel. As of mid-March, fuel imports have reduced to near zero and left the country with an increasing economic crisis.
On March 16, Cuba experienced yet another major blackout. On March 17, Cuba was able to restore power to a large portion of its electrical grid, though much of the country remained without power until now. While the main cause of the blackouts is still under investigation, it can be inferred that the lack of fuel has something to do with it as a large part of Cuba’s power grid is reliant on oil. The country’s outdated generation system depends on thermal power plants, which use about 100,000 barrels of oil per day for essential functions.
The crisis has also hindered Cuban residents' access to vital resources like food, water, hospitals, medicine, sanitation, and free movement.
In response to the situation in Cuba., Russia has come out and promised unwavering solidarity with Cuba. The country has also defied Trump’s orders and sent two tankers carrying crude oil in the direction of Cuba, pledging to provide the country with "necessary support, including financial aid.” The U.S. Treasury Department has made it clear that Cuba won’t be allowed to take Russia’s oil.
Why Does Trump Want Cuba?
On March 16, in the midst of Cuba’s blackout, Trump talked with reporters about what his plans with Cuba might look like.
“All my life I’ve been hearing about the United States and Cuba,” he shared. “You know, when will the United States do it? I do believe I’ll [have the] honor of taking Cuba? That’d be good. That’s a big honor.”
An unidentified reporter then asked for clarification on what he meant by “taking Cuba,” to which Trump responded with, “Taking Cuba in some form, yeah. Taking Cuba,” he said. “I mean, whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I want with it, you want to know the truth. They’re a very weakened nation right now.”
While clear reasoning behind Trump’s actions haven’t been revealed, the Trump administration declared a national emergency over Cuba in January and described the country as “an unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security.
The U.S. has been very vocal about calling for a change in regime with the aim to shift Havana away from its authoritarian communist system.
Earlier this month, CBS News reported that federal prosecutors in Miami are focusing on prosecuting high ranking Cuban leaders for possible economic, drug, violent and immigration offenses.
It has also been theorized that part of Trump’s reasoning involves the real estate and money making potential Cuba has. The country is a large Caribbean island with underdeveloped beachfront property that could have massive appeal to tourists and pull in a substantial amount of money.
In a USA Today interview with Cuba’s top diplomat on March 13, it was reported that the U.S. and Cuba are engaged in serious negotiations, though details of a deal between the two are not yet known to the public.
Trump later confirmed with reporters that negotiations were taking place, “I can tell you that they’re talking to us,” he said. “It’s a failed nation. They have no money, they have no oil, they have no nothing, they have nice land. They have nice landscape. You know, it’s a beautiful island.”
As of late, the U.S. is using economic tactics to pressure Cuba instead of physical force.
“They don’t get subsidies anymore, So they’re in a lot of trouble. And the people in charge of them, they don’t know how to fix it. So they have to get new people in charge,” said Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.
How Has Cuba Responded?
In January, Cuba’s leader, Miguel Díaz-Canel, took to social media to make a statement amid the capture of Maduro.
“Cuba is a free, independent and sovereign state - nobody dictates what we do,” he wrote. “Cuba does not attack; we are the victims of U.S. attacks for 66 years and we will prepare ourselves to defend the homeland with our last drop of blood.”
Since then, in response to Trump’s statements about “taking Cuba”, he has vowed to put up a “resistance” to anything the U.S. president tries. Taking to the social media platform X about the situation, Díaz-Canel wrote, “In the face of the worst scenario, Cuba is accompanied by a certainty: any external aggressor will clash with an impregnable resistance.”
