Havana/Donald Trump considers it “possible” that a US operation in Cuba will develop in a similar way to the military incursion that allowed the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. The president of the United States left that possibility open during an interview granted this Thursday at The Axios Show.
“Do you see the operation in Cuba developing in a similar way?” journalist Marc Caputo asked him, referring to the US device that culminated in the arrest of the Venezuelan president in January. “Possibly. It’s possible,” Trump responded.
The question about Cuba came immediately after Trump claimed that the United States is “running Venezuela” along with the authorities who remain in the country. The president immediately justified his response by the geographical proximity of Cuba and Venezuela, in contrast to the distance that separates the United States from Iran, the scene of another of the military operations that he claimed during the conversation.
“Venezuela has oil. Cuba does not. Cuba has good properties and a beautiful coast”
“Well, there is another thing. Those places are close. On the other hand, if you look at Iran, it is a very long trip. I have flown to that area several times, for reasons unrelated to this, but it is an 18-hour flight, it is a long time. Venezuela is relatively close and Cuba is just a jump away,” he stated.
The president also compared the resources of Cuba and Venezuela. “Venezuela has oil. Cuba does not. Cuba has good properties and a beautiful coast,” he declared, reducing the economic attractions of the Island to its territory and its coastline.
After talking about a possible operation, Trump assured that the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, will play a central role in the policy towards Havana. “We are going to get Marco involved with Cuba. Cuba really wants to talk,” he said.
When asked about the strong support he receives among Cuban Americans, Trump stated that approximately 95% of that community had voted for him. “I love you,” he added after Caputo mentioned that an important part of his political base is among Cuban exiles.
Axios reported that Trump refused to set a timetable for eventual action on Cuba and simply said that his position remains “flexible.” He also assured that Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants and one of the main defenders of a policy of maximum pressure against the Havana regime, is “very involved.”
“We are going to get Marco involved with Cuba. Cuba really wants to talk”
The media itself recalled that Trump has not authorized an invasion and that, at least publicly, he has expressed his preference for a peaceful transition to a free Cuba. However, his words constitute one of his most direct allusions to the possibility of reproducing on the Island the scheme applied in Venezuela.
In the interview, Trump once again boasted about the speed of the operation against Maduro. “Look at Venezuela. Everything ended in 48 minutes,” he said. He later insisted that the US troops entered in less favorable weather conditions than expected and that the mission concluded at that same time, despite the fact that Venezuela had numerous soldiers.
The comparison comes after several reports about Washington’s preparations for a possible collapse of the Cuban regime. TO end of may, Axios revealed that Washington had analyzed different military response plans for a scenario of chaos on the Island, which some officials considered possible since this summer.
The Administration has meanwhile intensified economic and political pressure on Havana, with the declared intention of depriving the regime of resources. The capture of Maduro and the interruption of oil shipments from Venezuela have worsened the Cuban energy crisis, characterized by prolonged blackouts, fuel shortages and a sharp contraction in economic activity.
