Trump Floats ‘Friendly Takeover’ of Cuba as Rubio Talks Trigger Havana Pushback
President Donald Trump has triggered fresh backlash after suggesting the U.S. could pursue a “friendly takeover of Cuba,” even as Havana pushes back on the idea that any formal talks are happening. Reuters reported Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio is engaged at a high level, framing Cuba’s economic distress as leverage for a U.S.-led outcome.
The timing is combustible. The comments land after a deadly maritime clash in which Cuba says its forces shot and killed four people tied to a Florida-registered boat that entered Cuban waters and exchanged gunfire, a case the U.S. is still investigating.
They also come amid a widening fuel fight.ed a Jan. 29 executive order declaring a national emergency regarding Cuba and authorizing tariffs aimed at countries supplying oil to the island, a move UN experts criticized as a fuel blockade.
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