The US President said Washington had “very good plans” for Cuba and wanted to see the country prosper and feed its people….reports Asian Lite News Desk
President Donald Trump has indicated that Cuba could become a key focus of US foreign policy once his administration concludes its current efforts involving Iran, describing the Caribbean island as a “failed nation” facing severe economic hardship.
Speaking to reporters, Trump painted a bleak picture of conditions in Cuba, arguing that the country’s long running economic crisis has deepened following changes in Venezuela, a traditional ally that for years provided financial and energy support to Havana.
“It’s a failed nation,” Trump said. “Without Venezuela, you know, Venezuela because it has such wealth in the ground, mostly in the ground, but Venezuela took care of them for years.”
The President said Cuba was struggling to sustain itself economically and was facing shortages of key resources.
“The country is starving, and it’s got no energy, it’s got no oil, it’s got no money, it’s got nothing,” Trump said. “It’s got a beautiful piece of land.”
His remarks come amid mounting US pressure on Cuba. The Trump administration recently expanded sanctions against the island and imposed sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel as part of a broader effort to increase pressure on the country’s leadership.
When asked whether recent sanctions were intended to hasten the collapse of Cuba’s Communist government, Trump insisted the goal was not regime change.
“No, it’s just, we just want them to be a nicely run country that can feed its people,” he said.
Trump argued that Cuba had relied heavily on support from Venezuela for decades but claimed that source of assistance had diminished significantly.
“Venezuela was giving them the money to survive,” he said. “Now, you know, the money is, I guess you could say, it’s coming to us and it’s going to Venezuela.”
Asked whether Cuba was close to collapse, Trump suggested the country was already experiencing the consequences of a failing system.
“It sort of collapsed,” he said. “And we’re going to handle that as soon as we finish.”
The President linked any future action on Cuba to ongoing developments involving Iran, which remains a major focus of his administration’s foreign policy agenda. Recent weeks have seen continued diplomatic and military tensions involving Tehran as Washington pursues negotiations and security objectives in the region.
“I like to do one thing at a time, and we’ll take care of the Islamic Republic of Iran. And as soon as that’s done on our way back, we’ll just make a little brief stop,” Trump said.
Despite his criticism of Cuba’s government, Trump said he envisaged a future in which Cuban Americans could reconnect with relatives and invest in the island.
“We’re going to treat Cuba well,” he said. “And we’re going to let our people go back and let them invest in Cuba if they’d like.”
“We have some very good plans for Cuba.”
Trump also highlighted his support among Cuban American voters, particularly in Florida, a key political battleground.
“I had 95 per cent of the Cubans vote for me,” he said. “They’re unbelievable people. They’re energetic, they’re entrepreneurial.”
The comments are among Trump’s clearest indications that Cuba could move higher up the administration’s foreign policy agenda once current challenges involving Iran and the wider Middle East are addressed. Recent months have already seen Washington adopt a more hardline stance towards Havana through sanctions and other measures.
Cuba continues to face a severe economic crisis marked by fuel shortages, electricity blackouts, inflation and falling state revenues. The island has also experienced a major wave of emigration in recent years as many Cubans have sought opportunities abroad.
