Trump Floats U.S. ‘Friendly Takeover’ as Cuba Faces Fuel Crisis
President Donald Trump on Friday suggested the United States could pursue a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, as his administration ramps up pressure on the communist government in Havana through a fuel blockade.
“The Cuban government is talking with us. They’re in a big deal of trouble, as you know. They have no money, no anything right now,” Trump told reporters. “Maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba. We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba.”
The comments come after Trump issued an executive order at the end of January establishing a fuel blockade against the island nation. The move was designed to weaken the Cuban government, which depends heavily on imported energy and food.
Earlier this week, the United Nations’ top official for Cuba warned the situation on the island is worsening. The official said daily life is “becoming fragile,” citing growing strain on health care, water systems and food distribution.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials reportedly met Thursday with the grandson of former Cuban president Raúl Castro during a Caribbean conference attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Castro’s grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, acts as his grandfather’s bodyguard and is believed to oversee the Cuban military’s business conglomerate, GAESA. The group controls a large portion of the country’s economy. According to the Miami Herald, GAESA held about $18 billion in assets in 2024, along with funds in undisclosed bank accounts.
The Cuban government has introduced emergency measures in response to the U.S. fuel blockade and is reportedly down to six to seven weeks of fuel reserves before the island could face widespread blackouts.
Trump’s remarks also follow a deadly encounter Wednesday between the Cuban coast guard and a boat carrying U.S. citizens, permanent residents and visa holders. At least four people on board were killed, while others were injured and detained. Cuban authorities accused those involved of committing “terrorism” against the island.
Despite the deadly incident, both governments have issued statements suggesting tensions may be easing. Officials on both sides said they are cooperating to clarify what the Cuban government described as “regrettable events.”
