Trump does not rule out taking over Cuba in a "friendly" way

BarcelonaUS President Donald Trump raised the possibility of a "friendly takeover" of Cuba on Friday, stating that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is handling the matter "at the highest level." Speaking to reporters at the White House, the president said, "The Cuban government is talking to us. They have serious problems. They don't have money. They don't have anything right now, but they're talking to us, and maybe we'll have a friendly takeover of Cuba." Trump described Cuba as a decaying country in need of change, adding that he has heard about the island's difficulties since he was a child: "They don't have money, they don't have oil, they don't have food. Right now they're a country with a lot of problems, and they want our help." For its part, the Cuban government has stated that it is not holding any high-level talks with the United States, although it has not explicitly denied media reports that US officials may be maintaining informal contact with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, grandson of the former president. Axios reported this month that Rubio had held secret talks with Rodríguez. US officials close to Rubio reportedly met on the sidelines of the Caribbean Community regional conference held this week on the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts and Nevis, according to a report published Thursday. Miami Herald.

Tensions with Cuba have increased afterCuban forces killed four exiles and wounded six more this weekThey had entered Cuban waters armed aboard a speedboat registered in Florida and opened fire on a Cuban patrol boat. Rubio has denied that it was a US operation and has stated that no US government personnel were involved.

Oil blockade

The incident occurred at a time when the United States has blocked virtually all oil shipments to the island, leading to a serious economic crisisThe capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by a US-backed guerrilla group has left the island without its main energy supplier. In recent weeks, Rubio has attacked the Cuban government, asserting that the current situation is unsustainable and that Cuba needs to change "drastically." Cuban exiles, concentrated mainly in Miami, have long dreamed of overthrowing the Cuban government or seeing it fall, and in the past have conspired against the regime established by Fidel Castro. Referring to the large Cuban community residing in the United States, Trump said: "We have people living here who want to go back to Cuba, and they're very happy with what's happening."