Washington– US President Donald Trump and America’s top diplomat on Thursday once again raised the specter of US military intervention in Cuba, a renewed threat that takes on greater weight a day after the US administration made its threat. Criminal charges announced Against former island leader Raul Castro.
Trump said that previous US presidents had done so Consider intervention in Cuba For decades but “it looks like I’ll be the one to do it.”
“Other presidents have looked at this for 50 or 60 years, and they’re doing something,” Trump told reporters when asked about Cuba during an environmental event in the Oval Office. “And it looks like I’ll be the one to do it. So, I’ll be happy to do it.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio separately told reporters that Cuba had been a national security threat for years because of its ties to US adversaries and that Trump was determined to confront it.
Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants and who has long taken a hardline stance against Cuba’s socialist leadership, said the Trump administration wants Resolve disputes with Cuba peacefully But it is doubtful that the United States can reach a diplomatic solution with the current island government.
“Trump always prefers a peaceful, negotiated agreement. This has always been our preference. This remains our preference with Cuba,” Rubio said in Miami before boarding a plane to attend a NATO meeting in Sweden and then visit India.
“I’m just to be honest with you, you know, the likelihood of that happening, given who we’re dealing with now, is not high,” he said.
Trump’s top aides – including Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and other senior national security officials – have met with Cuban officials in recent months to explore potential improvements in relations. But the American side did not like those talks, which led to the imposition of more sanctions on the Cuban government last week.
Over the years, Cuba has become accustomed to “buying time and waiting for us to get out,” Rubio said. “They won’t be able to wait for us or buy time. We are very serious, and we are very focused.”
When asked whether the United States would use force in Cuba to change the island’s political regime, Rubio reiterated that a diplomatic settlement was preferable, but noted that “the president always has the option of doing whatever it takes to support and protect the national interest.”
He responded to a reporter’s suggestion that it sounded like “nation building”, insisting it was about addressing a national security threat.
Federal prosecutors on Wednesday The indictment was revealed Who accuses Castro of issuing orders Downing civilian aircraft in 1996 Flown by exiles residing in Miami. The charges, presented secretly by a grand jury in April, include murder and destruction of an aircraft.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has condemned the indictment as a political ploy that only seeks to “justify the folly of military aggression against Cuba.”
Castro’s indictment has led many to believe that the Trump administration is following the same playbook as it did when it did so The arrest of then Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro In a military operation in early January. Maduro, who has been imprisoned in the United States since his arrest, faces a federal trial Accusations of drug trafficking He pleaded not guilty.
US Army Described as access The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and its escort ships returned to the Caribbean Sea on the same day the charges against Castro were announced. US Southern Command said the ships were participating in naval exercises with partners in Latin America that began in March.
Rubio did not discuss how the United States might move to implement the indictment against Castro, who turns 95 next month.
Trump has been threatening military action in Cuba since Maduro’s ouster, then ordered an energy blockade that has choked off fuel shipments to Cuba. Which led to a severe power outage, Food shortage and economic collapse across the island.
The Trump administration this month also imposed new sanctions on Cuba, the largest of which is against Grupo de Administración Empresarial SA, a business conglomerate run by the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces.
Rubio announced Thursday that the sister of the GAESA CEO, who was living in the United States, has had her green card revoked and has been arrested, and is now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Previous administrations allowed the families of Cuban military elites, Iranian terrorists, and other abhorrent organizations to enjoy lavish lifestyles in our country funded by stolen blood money, while the people they oppressed at home endured increasingly harsh conditions. That is no longer the case,” Rubio said in a statement.
Trump intensified talk of regime change in Cuba after pledging to hold elections “Friendly takeover” of the country If its leadership does not open its economy to American investment and expel America’s opponents.
Rubio said Thursday that Cuba poses a serious threat to America’s national security because of its security and intelligence ties with China and Russia and its friendly relations with America’s enemies in Latin America.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiaqun said Thursday that China opposes US sanctions and pressure on Cuba.
“China firmly supports Cuba in protecting its national sovereignty and dignity and opposes external interference,” Guo added.
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Associated Press writers Simena Mestrino in Bangkok and Ben Finley in Washington contributed to this report.