US President Donald Trump has hinted at a “takeover” of the socialist country amid tensions between the US and Cuba.
Mar 17, 2026, 3:48 amMar 17, 2026, 3:48 am
The Republican told reporters at the White House that he believes he will “have the honor” to “take over” or “liberate” Cuba in some form.
“I can do anything I want with it.”
He didn’t get any more specific.
US President Trump once again expresses imperialist ambitions.Image: keystone
Trump’s provocative show of force on Monday coincided with a nationwide blackout in Cuba. Mismanagement, corruption and the decades-long US trade embargo have brought the authoritarian country to the brink of economic collapse. Recently, the decades-long tensions between the Caribbean country and the USA, which has around 30 times as many inhabitants and many times more economic power, had become even greater.
“They have no money, they have no oil, they have nothing”
Trump’s disparaging comments about Cuba are likely to cause displeasure among the leadership in Havana: “It is a failed state. They have no money, they have no oil, they have nothing,” said the US President – and then added: “They have beautiful country.” In general, Cuba is “a beautiful island”.
The Caribbean island, which is only about 150 kilometers from the southeastern US state of Florida, is under heavy pressure from the USA – especially since the start of Trump’s second term in office a good year ago. With tariff threats against potential energy suppliers and a complete blockade of sanctioned oil tankers from the South American sister state of Venezuela, he largely cut off Cuba’s access to oil. However, the country is dependent on the raw material for its electricity supply.
Despite the difficult situation on the island, it is unclear why the US President thinks he has an easy time in Cuba. The country has been governed by authoritarian rule since the victory of the revolution in 1959, with the Communist Party controlling the state, economy and society. Other parties are not permitted. Most residents don’t know any other system of government – support for a coup initiated by the USA is likely to be low, despite all the criticism of the current government.
Relationships have been strained for a long time
Relations between Havana and Washington have been strained since the socialist revolution under left-wing icon Fidel Castro almost 70 years ago. Under Trump, however, the US government is putting increasing pressure on the island, especially since the January arrest of authoritarian Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, an ally of the leadership in Havana. With the upheaval in Venezuela, one of Cuba’s most important supporters and most potent oil suppliers disappeared.
At the same time, Cuba and the USA are holding formal talks with each other, as both sides confirmed. “Cuban representatives have recently held talks with representatives of the US government to seek, through dialogue, a possible solution to the bilateral differences that exist between the two countries,” said the president of the socialist country, Miguel Díaz-Canel. Trump recently said: “Cuba is in the final moments of its existence. A new life will begin.”
The President of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel.Image: keystone
Dilapidated power grid in Cuba
The economic decline in Cuba is obvious. On Monday there was once again a nationwide power outage. The Ministry of Energy said the cause was being investigated and work was being done to restore power supply. It was the first island-wide power outage since the beginning of the year. A blackout almost two weeks ago affected around two thirds of the Caribbean country.
In the country with almost ten million inhabitants, the electricity network repeatedly collapses completely. Large parts of the outdated infrastructure are in poor condition. As a result, power plants often go offline and require emergency repairs. Power outages are part of everyday life. The government attributes the crisis to the US trade embargo that has existed for more than 60 years. (sda/dpa)