Trump outlines Cuba plan
US President Donald Trump has stated his intention to 'get Cuba done' before leaving office in two years, openly considering a week-long military campaign against the island nation.
Speaking to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Thursday, Trump made clear that he 'would certainly consider' a military operation against Cuba. The US has maintained a de facto blockade against the island while openly advocating for regime change.
Cuba's worsening crisis
The US escalated pressure on Cuba after the kidnapping of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in January. Washington essentially cut Cuba off from crucial Venezuelan oil, while also threatening tariffs against other countries supplying the island. The resulting fuel shortages have aggravated an already severe humanitarian crisis, bringing repeated nationwide blackouts and disrupting water supplies, transport, and healthcare.
Military planning
In July, CBS News reported that Pentagon planners had considered an air assault against Cuba involving thousands of US troops from the elite 101st Airborne Division. In September, the network reported an Army Reserve inquiry about support units, including police forces and medical personnel, which might be needed within 90 to 120 days as part of potential Cuba-related planning.
I want to get Cuba done before I leave. And we have a very good, talented guy for Cuba named Marco.
Cuban response
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez has accused Washington of seeking to create a 'humanitarian catastrophe' through its fuel restrictions. President Miguel Diaz-Canel has insisted that Cuba's future would never be decided in Washington, warning that Havana would fight back against any US invasion.
Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio mocked Secretary of State Marco Rubio's comments about CIA partnerships with dissidents, saying 'there must be a great deal of desperation or misery within the agency for it to be forced to sell its services like a tube of toothpaste.'
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