Trump Puts Cuba On Notice
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued stronger warnings toward Cuba on Saturday, blaming Havana’s role for Venezuela’s collapse under Nicolás Maduro.
The comments, delivered during a post-announcement press appearance, signaled that the Trump administration’s response to regional instability may not stop with Venezuela and that Cuba’s role in propping up hostile regimes is now firmly back in Washington’s sights.
Trump: Cuba Is a Failing System That Has Hurt Its People
The exchange came after Trump addressed Venezuela’s future and the fate of Maduro. A reporter asked whether the U.S. operation carried a message for Cuba and its president, Miguel Díaz-Canel.
Trump responded by describing Cuba as a nation in serious decline, blaming decades of communist rule for widespread hardship.
“Cuba is not doing very well right now,” Trump said. “That system has failed the Cuban people for many, many years. It’s a badly failing nation.”
Trump emphasized that U.S. policy is focused on supporting everyday citizens, not entrenched political elites.
“We want to help the people in Cuba,” he said, “and we also want to help the people who were forced to flee Cuba and now live here in the United States.”
Rubio: Cuba Helped Control Venezuela From the Inside
Rubio responded with tougher language, saying Cuba’s economic failure and overseas activities have played a significant role in Venezuela’s collapse.
“Cuba is a disaster,” Rubio said. “Their economy is in total collapse, and it’s run by deeply incompetent leadership.”
He accused Havana of embedding itself inside Venezuela’s security and intelligence structures, effectively undermining Venezuelan sovereignty.
“Many of the guards protecting Maduro were Cuban,” Rubio said. “Their intelligence services were full of Cubans. In some ways, Venezuela has had to fight for independence from Cuba itself.”
Sanctions and Energy Pressure Intensify
Rubio warned that Cuba’s leadership should take Trump’s recent actions seriously, suggesting the administration is prepared to apply additional pressure.
“If I were in their government, I’d be concerned,” Rubio said.
He also highlighted recent moves targeting energy supplies, noting that sanctioned oil shipments will not be allowed to reach Cuba—a decision expected to further strain the island’s struggling economy.
A Broader Signal to the Western Hemisphere
Together, the remarks underscore a broader shift in U.S. foreign policy under Trump: regimes aligned against American interests—and against the freedom of their own people—will face increased scrutiny and consequences.
For longtime critics of communism in the Western Hemisphere, the message was clear: the era of unchecked influence from Havana and Caracas may be coming to an end.
