President Donald Trump has indicated that Cuba's communist government is nearing collapse and suggested dispatching Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the island. He described the situation as ripe for a 'friendly takeover' while highlighting Cuba's severe economic troubles. This comes after U.S. actions in Venezuela disrupted Cuba's oil supplies.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly addressed the deteriorating situation in Cuba, a communist nation 90 miles off Florida's coast. On Monday, Trump stated, "The Cuban government is talking with us. They’re in a big deal of trouble, as you know. They have no money. They have no anything right now. But they’re talking with us, and maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover … We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba."
In a conversation with CNN host Dana Bash on Friday, Trump predicted, “Cuba is gonna fall pretty soon,” adding that the United States has “plenty of time, but Cuba is ready.” He also mentioned plans to “put Marco over there,” referring to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio, son of Cuban immigrants who fled before Fidel Castro's rise, has long advocated for ending communist rule in Cuba. Trump has praised Rubio as the “greatest secretary of State in U.S. history.”
Cuba's economy is collapsing, with rampant inflation and crumbling infrastructure. The crisis intensified after the U.S. captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and seized control of Venezuela's oil exports. Venezuela halted oil shipments to Cuba, and U.S. military forces have intercepted other nations' fuel deliveries. Reports indicate Cuba has only weeks of fuel left, risking widespread blackouts. A United Nations official described the situation as “becoming fragile,” with food security “deteriorating.”
On Thursday, Trump alluded to Rubio's role, saying, “Look—we’re not going to do it right away. But maybe Marco is going to head on down.” A recent incident heightened tensions: Cuban troops killed at least five people on a speedboat from Florida, accusing them of firing on soldiers. Cuba charged the five survivors with terrorism, but Rubio denied U.S. involvement.
Historically, Cuba allied with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, leading to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis—the closest brush with nuclear war—and the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion. Trump has ruled out a major military operation, favoring diplomatic approaches instead.
