Trump says US will hold talks with Cuba amid deepening pressure on island

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States would hold talks with Cuba, while describing the communist-ruled island as a failed country.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that Cuba was “a failed country” and added: “Cuba is asking for help, and we are going to talk!!!” He did not give further details about the proposed discussions.

The announcement comes as Cuba faces mounting strain after losing a key source of support in the region. The island has been hit hard by a fuel blockade following Washington’s capture of Nicolas Maduro, the former president of Venezuela.

There has also been growing speculation in Washington that Trump is seeking to remove the Cuban government as part of a broader push to expand US influence 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 Cuba would be next after the US military operation that deposed Venezuela’s longtime leader Maduro.

Cuba has remained at odds with successive US administrations since the 1960s. The island lies about 145 kilometres from Florida, which is home to a large and politically influential Cuban exile community.

Venezuela had long served as an economic and diplomatic lifeline for Cuba, which has struggled with poverty. The fall of Maduro has left Havana more isolated.

As an oil producer, Venezuela had been Cuba’s main fuel supplier. The United States shut down that supply route, contributing to frequent electricity outages on the island.

Sanctions and Cuban response

On May 1, Trump announced fresh economic sanctions aimed at important parts of the Cuban economy.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez condemned the move, calling it “collective punishment” and “unilateral coercive measures.”

Trump’s latest remarks indicate that despite the sharp rhetoric and recent sanctions, Washington is now signalling some form of engagement with Havana. However, no timetable, agenda or official framework for the talks was provided in Trump’s statement.

The development adds a new dimension to already tense relations between the two countries, which have been marked for decades by confrontation, sanctions and political hostility.

“Cuba is asking for help, and we are going to talk!!!”

“a failed country”

“collective punishment”

“unilateral coercive measures.”