WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Friday (Mar 6) Cuba was next on his agenda after Iran, predicting that the communist-run island, crippled by a US energy blockade, is “gonna fall pretty soon”.
“They want to make a deal so badly,” Trump told CNN in a phone interview, a day after suggesting that he would turn to an unspecified project for Cuba after the war against Iran.
“We’re really focused on this one right now. We’ve got plenty of time, but Cuba’s ready – after 50 years,” he added, explaining that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be his point man on Cuba.
“He’s doing some job, and your next one is going to be, we want to do that special Cuba,” Trump said.
Both Trump and Rubio – the son of Cuban immigrants – have made no secret of their desire to bring about regime change in Havana following their overthrow of Washington’s other bete noire in the Caribbean– Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
The US State Department’s coordinator for Cuban affairs, Rob Allison, met recently in Havana with senior representatives of the Catholic Church, the US Embassy in Havana said Friday on X, without saying when the meetings took place.
The embassy posted a picture of Rob Allison and the US charge d’affaires in Cuba, Mike Hammer, meeting with Cardinal Juan de la Claridad and Bishop Arturo Gonzalez, president of the national bishop’s conference.
The four discussed humanitarian aid sent by Washington to the island “and the need for change to improve the situation in Cuba,” the embassy added.
