Summary:
President Donald Trump has reiterated threats to pursue regime change in Cuba, stating it is a "question of time" after focusing on Iran. His administration has tightened economic sanctions against Cuba with the stated aim of overthrowing its government, while also emphasizing a willingness to use military force to advance U.S. priorities in Latin America.
Main Topics Covered:
1. U.S. threats of regime change in Cuba.
2. Increased economic sanctions against Cuba.
3. The Trump administration's broader use of military and economic pressure in foreign policy, notably regarding Iran and Venezuela.
Trump says regime change in Cuba is ‘question of time’ after Iran
Trump administration has tightened sanctions meant to degrade Cuban economy and threatened to topple government.
United States President Donald Trump has renewed his threats to topple the government of Cuba, stating that US action there could come after his administration completes its war against Iran.
Speaking at the White House on Thursday during a visit from the football team Inter Miami, Trump thanked Secretary of State Marco Rubio for doing a “fantastic job” on Cuba, where the administration has tightened sanctions meant to tighten the screws on the island’s economy.
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“What’s happening with Cuba is amazing. And we think that, we want to finish this one [Iran] first,” Trump said. “But that will be just a question of time.”
Trump and his allies have frequently threatened Havana, ratcheting up economic pressure with the aim of overthrowing the country’s communist government.
After the US abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January, Trump stated that the country’s supply of oil to Cuba, an essential economic lifeline for the island that has been under heavy US sanctions for years, would be totally cut off.
Trump has embraced the threat of overwhelming military force to advance his priorities around the world, including in Latin America, where he has previously said that Cuba looks “ready to fall” in the near future.
The use of US military strikes in Venezuela, which killed dozens of people, and against alleged drug trafficking boats off Latin America, has been deemed illegal under international law, but the US president has shown little interest in such constraints.
“We’ve had tremendous success in so many different ways. I’ve built the military and rebuilt it in my first term, and we’re using it, more than I’d like to use it, to be honest with you, but when we use it, we’ve found out that it certainly did work,” Trump said of US military intervention around the world.
“When we look at Venezuela, when we look at Midnight Hammer in Iran that set the stage for what we’re doing right now, it’s been pretty amazing.”
Meridiano
