United States President Donald Trump on Friday touted the successes of US military action in Venezuela and Iran, while claiming that “Cuba is next.”
Trump's remark came hours after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the situation in the island nation during a meeting with his G7 counterparts in Paris, France.
“I built this great military. I said, 'You'll never have to use it.' But sometimes you have to use it. And Cuba is next by the way,” Trump said during his speech at the investment forum in Miami, Reuters news agency reported.
However, Trump did not specify or elaborate on what he precisely plans to do with the island nation. The US President has, on several occasions in the past, claimed that the government in Havana, which is facing a severe economic crisis, is on the verge of collapse.
Earlier today, Rubio had said that the economy on the island needed to change, adding that this would not be possible unless there is a change in the system of government there, according to Reuters. Rubio also flagged the power blackouts on the island, pinning them down to Cuba's aging infrastructure.
Trump admin in negotiations with Cuba
Trump has hinted in the past that kinetic action is possible. However, right after his remark that ‘Cuba is next’, Trump said, “But pretend I didn't say that. Pretend I didn't.”
{{/usCountry}}Trump has hinted in the past that kinetic action is possible. However, right after his remark that ‘Cuba is next’, Trump said, “But pretend I didn't say that. Pretend I didn't.”
{{/usCountry}}The US President and Rubio's remarks come even as the Trump-led administration has opened up negotiations with the island nation. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has also confirmed that the country is in talks with America in order to deflect any potential military confrontation.
Following the disruption in global energy trade, Cuba's economy has also been battered due to reduction in oil imports, on which it is reliant for running power plants and transportation.