' He raised the possibility of a friendly takeover of Cuba, remarking, 'They have no money. They have no anything right now. ' Trump described Cuba as a failed nation and claimed it wants US help.
He suggested military action might not be necessary because the island's economy was weak enough to soon collapse on its own. Trump also said there could be something very positive for Cuban expatriates in the US. The specific details of a 'friendly takeover' remain unclear.
The Cuban government is talking with us.
A Florida-registered speedboat carrying 10 armed Cubans from the US opened fire on soldiers off Cuba's north coast two days before Trump's remarks. Four of the armed Cubans were killed, and six were injured in responding gunfire. One Cuban official was injured.
Marco Rubio said the US Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard are investigating the incident. The US has maintained a strict trade embargo on Cuba since 1962. An executive order Trump signed in late January pledged to impose tariffs on countries providing oil to Cuba, threatening to further cripple a country already plagued by a deepening energy crisis.
They have no money. They have no anything right now. But they're talking to us, and maybe we'll have a friendly takeover of Cuba.
Whether the tariffs have been imposed and their impact is unknown.