US President Donald Trump threatens Cuba is next target, dismisses concerns over losing his MAGA political base after recent military actions.
MIAMI: US President Donald Trump declared “Cuba is next” during a public speech on Friday. He made the remark while dismissing concerns that recent American military actions would cost him political support from his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
Speaking at the Saudi-backed FII Priority investment forum, Trump said his base wanted “strength” and “victory”. He cited the January raid where US forces seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro as an example.
“I built this great military. I said, ‘You’ll never have to use it,’ but sometimes you have to use it,” Trump said. “And Cuba is next, by the way. But pretend I didn’t say that.”
He did not specify what he planned for Cuba, telling the media to “disregard that statement”. Trump then repeated “Cuba’s next” to laughter from the audience.
The Republican president also made a teasing comment dubbing the Strait of Hormuz the “Strait of Trump”. Cuba’s communist government has faced mounting pressure from Trump, who imposed a de facto oil blockade in January and previously mused about “taking” the country.
Cuban leader Miguel Diaz-Canel said last week any external aggressor would face “unbreakable resistance”. His statement came as the country was hit with two nationwide blackouts in a week.
Cuba has been under a US trade embargo since shortly after Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution. Relations thawed in recent years but have plunged again since Trump took office for his second term.
The US president is seeking to tighten Washington’s grip on Latin America. A top Cuban diplomat earlier said Havana was willing to continue talking with Washington.
The diplomat added that discussing changes to its political system was out of the question. Two sailboats delivering medical supplies and other goods to Cuba were reported missing and remained unaccounted for on Friday.