Cuba Policy: Trump Sets Deadline for Intervention
The president stated he wants to resolve the situation with the island nation before his term ends in 2029.
By Lucas Sheridan ·
President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would consider using military force against Cuba, stating he wants to "get Cuba done" before leaving office in 2029. Speaking in a phone interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt of Salem News Channel, Trump confirmed the administration is "watching it very closely." This marks the first time the president has attached a specific timeline to a potential operation, according to a report by Politico.
During the interview, Trump described the island as "essentially a failed … place, nation, whatever you wanna call it." He expressed a desire to act on behalf of Cubans who emigrated to the United States and were "treated really badly." Trump noted that he won the Cuban vote in Florida by a wide margin and said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose parents are Cuban, "would love to do it."
The statement follows a series of threats regarding the Cuban government. On Monday, Trump declared that Cuba "will fall fairly soon" and that the United States would assist the island "on a humanitarian basis." In March, he claimed he would have the "honour of taking Cuba," a comment made while the island's power grid was collapsing.
Washington has intensified economic pressure on Havana since January. After seizing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the United States cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba. Trump signed an executive order labeling Cuba an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. security and threatened tariffs on any nation supplying the island with fuel. This de facto oil blockade has led to repeated nationwide blackouts, fuel and food shortages, and what Cuban officials describe as a humanitarian crisis.
Cuban leaders have referred to the measures as "collective punishment." The U.S. Treasury Department has added sanctions targeting Cuba's state oil company, President Miguel Diaz-Canel, and relatives of former President Raul Castro. A new round of sanctions announced this month targets ten individuals and entities linked to the government, military, and oil sector. The United States has also issued an arrest warrant for Castro.
Negotiations regarding the blockade have yielded little result. Cuba's foreign minister stated in June that there had been "no progress" in talks between the two sides. In March, the head of U.S. Southern Command told senators that American troops were not rehearsing for an invasion. Cuban officials maintain the island is prepared for any attack.
The next scheduled diplomatic engagement between the two nations remains under discussion as the administration continues to monitor conditions on the island.
