Trump hints at action against Cuba amid escalating standoff
May 22, 2026
What you need to know about Trump and US-Cuba relations
- Trump has signaled taking a tougher stance on Cuba, with potential intervention
- Cuba's ties to Russia and China make a negotiated solution unlikely, Marco Rubio says
- Washington is increasing pressure on Havana, including the indictment of former leader Raul Castro
The US renewed threats of possible action against Cuba on Thursday, signaling a focus on changing the Caribbean island's communist system.
Both President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio weighed in on the issue.
Trump told reporters that past US presidents had considered intervening in Cuba but "it looks like I'll be the one that does it."
Trump, however, denied that the deployment of the USS Nimitz and its escort warships to the Caribbean for maritime exercises was intended to intimidate Cuba.
Why doesn't Rubio see a negotiated settlement?
Toeing the same line, Rubio said Washington preferred a diplomatic solution but warned the chances of a negotiated settlement with Cuba's communist government were "not high."
"They're not going to be able to wait us out or buy time. We're very serious, we're very focused," he said.
He added that Trump "always has the option to do whatever it takes to support and protect the national interest."
Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, has long taken a hard line against Cuba's communist leadership.
The secretary of state described Cuba as a national security threat because of its security and intelligence ties with China and Russia.
US indicts Raul Castro
On Wednesday, the US Department of Justice announced the indictment of former Cuban President Raul Castro.
Castro, 94, has been charged for his alleged role in the downing of two civilian US planes by Cuban air force fighter jets in 1996 when he served as defense minister.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel condemned the indictment as a political stunt aimed at justifying aggression against the island.
Meanwhile, Rubio also said the US had detained Adys Lastres Morera, the Florida-based sister of a senior executive at military-run conglomerate GAESA, after revoking her US green card.
Rubio had earlier accused GAESA of enriching the country's elites while ordinary citizens suffer, calling it a "state within a state."
Reminiscent of Venezuelan operation, say experts
Many experts see the recent US steps against Cuba as a replay of the same playbook the Trump administration followed when it captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a military operation in early January.
Amid crippling US sanctions, Cubans are facing daily blackouts lasting up to 20 hours and severe water shortages. Runaway inflation has also caused prices for basic goods to soar, while trash has piled up across Havana.
China and Russia have both criticized the US actions against Cuba.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah
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