US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced talks with Cuba, which has been crippled by a fuel blockade in the wake of Washington’s capture of key regional ally Nicolas Maduro, the former president of Venezuela.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the communist-ruled island as “a failed country,” adding: “Cuba is asking for help, and we are going to talk!!!” He did not provide details.
There is growing speculation in Washington that Trump is seeking to overturn the Cuban government as part of a drive to increase US dominance in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Earlier this month, Trump said the United States would be “taking over” the Caribbean island off the Florida coast “almost immediately.” He has also said that following the US military operation to depose Venezuela’s longtime leader, Maduro, Cuba will be next.
The communist island has been in a standoff with successive US administrations since the 1960s, and Florida, only around 145 kilometres away, hosts a large, politically influential Cuban exile community.
Venezuela was a diplomatic and economic lifeline for impoverished Cuba, and the fall of Maduro has left the island even more isolated.
Oil producer Venezuela was the main source of fuel for Cuba, and the shutting down of the supply route by the United States is provoking frequent power cuts.
On May 1, Trump announced new economic sanctions targeting key sections of the Cuban economy. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez called this “collective punishment” and “unilateral coercive measures. “
