MIAMI, March 27 - President Donald Trump used remarks at a Miami investment forum on Friday to single out Cuba as a potential next target of U.S. measures, saying "Cuba is next" as he recounted recent American military activity in Venezuela and Iran.
Trump did not outline concrete steps he intends to take with respect to the island nation. He has repeatedly expressed the view that Havana, which is contending with a severe economic crisis, is close to collapse. In recent weeks, the U.S. administration has engaged in negotiations with elements of Cuba's leadership, even as the president suggested kinetic options remain on the table.
At the forum, the president said:
"I built this great military. I said, 'You’ll never have to use it.' But sometimes you have to use it. And Cuba is next by the way,"and he added:
"But pretend I didn’t say that. Pretend I didn’t."
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has acknowledged that Havana is participating in talks with the United States intended to avert a possible military confrontation. The island's economy has been weakened by disruptions to oil imports, a vital input for its power plants and transportation systems.
Before a U.S. operation in January to capture the now-deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela supplied much of Cuba's oil requirements. According to the account provided, Caracas' new government, facing pressure from Washington, has stopped those shipments.
Earlier in March, the president had used similar language about Cuba, saying the island might be subject to a "friendly takeover," and then adding: "It may not be a friendly takeover." Those remarks, together with his comments on Friday, leave the specifics of any intended action toward Cuba undefined.
Context and immediate points of note
The public statements indicate a continued combination of diplomatic engagement and explicit threats of force, while Cuba faces pronounced economic strain tied to curtailed fuel supplies. The administration's approach, as described, mixes negotiation with the suggestion of military options but does not clarify next steps.