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As Trump eyes Cuba, I remember me how different things used to be

As Trump eyes Cuba, I remember me how different things used to be

Published by Sam Flores

Cuba suffered a widespread power cut on March 16, 2026, according to the national electricity company, against the backdrop of a severe crisis on the island caused by the US energy blockade. Yamil Lage | Afp | Getty Images The White House has choked off Cuba’s oil supply and threatened a “friendly takeover” of the communist-run island, against a backdrop of military operations in Venezuela and Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump is implying the country is his next target, saying: “Whether I free it, take it,  I think I can do anything I want with it. They’re a very weakened nation right now.” The oil shortage is bringing Cuba’s economy to the brink. But I’ve found myself thinking back when, not that long ago, it briefly looked like the two nations would normalize relations after decades of hostility. I first landed in Havana in March 2012 to cover Pope Benedict XVI’s visit. The airport was small. I had to repeatedly explain to immigration officials that we were there as journalists, that we had permission, and …

Cuba confirms talks with U.S. — but warns an agreement will take time

Cuba confirms talks with U.S. — but warns an agreement will take time

Published by Sam Flores

Teresa Rodriguez, 58, looks at Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel on state television, as Diaz-Canel said the country has opened talks with the U.S. government amid a severe economic crisis and as the Communist government has come under increasing pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, in Havana, Cuba March 13, 2026. Norlys Perez | Reuters Cuba’s government has held talks with Donald Trump’s administration, the country’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, said on Friday. It confirms speculation that the two countries were talking after U.S. President Trump renewed his threat of a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, saying the communist-run Caribbean island was in “deep trouble.” “These conversations have been aimed at seeking solutions, through dialogue, to bilateral differences that exist between the two nations,” Díaz-Canel said, according to a readout posted on social media by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla. “There are international factors that have facilitated these exchanges,” Díaz-Canel said. The country is facing a worsening economic crisis. The U.S. has imposed an oil blockade on the island since January, shortly after its ally and a key …

Trump says Cuba may face a ‘friendly takeover’ as fuel crisis deepens

Trump says Cuba may face a ‘friendly takeover’ as fuel crisis deepens

Published by Sam Flores

A pedicab drives past a traffic light that is out due to a power cut in Havana on March 4, 2026. Yamil Lage | Afp | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his threat of a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, saying the communist-run Caribbean island is in “deep trouble.” His latest comments come less than a week after he suggested that his administration would turn its sights on Havana after U.S. military operations in Iran ended. The Trump administration has sought to ratchet up the pressure on Cuba since the Jan. 3 military operation to depose Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a long-time ally of Cuba’s government. The U.S. has effectively cut Havana off from Venezuelan oil, called its government “an unusual and extraordinary threat,” and pledged to impose tariffs on any country that supplies it with oil. Speaking at a news conference in Doral, Florida, Trump said on Monday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was dealing with Cuba’s leadership as the country grapples with a worsening economic crisis. “It may be a friendly …

Trump hints U.S. will turn to Cuba after Iran: ‘A question of time’

Trump hints U.S. will turn to Cuba after Iran: ‘A question of time’

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump speaks during an event celebrating 2025 MLS Cup champions Inter Miami CF in the East Room of the White House on March 5, 2026. Win McNamee | Getty Images President Donald Trump on Thursday suggested his administration will turn its sights to Cuba after U.S. military operations in Iran are finished. “What’s happening with Cuba is amazing,” Trump said at the White House while participating in a visit of Inter Miami CF, the 2025 Major League Soccer champions. “We think that we want to fix — finish this one first, but that will be just a question of time before you and a lot of unbelievable people are going to be going back to Cuba, hopefully not to stay,” Trump said to the Miami-heavy audience that included people of Cuban heritage. The comments show Trump, less than a week into an escalating military conflict in the Middle East, is considering another major foreign policy move. “We want you back, and we don’t want to lose you. We don’t want to make it …

What the fallout from the Iran war means for Havana

What the fallout from the Iran war means for Havana

Published by Sam Flores

Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel (C) takes part in the “Anti-Imperialist” protest in front of the US Embassy against the US incursion in Venezuela, where 32 Cuban soldiers lost their lives, in Havana on January 16, 2026. Yamil Lage | Afp | Getty Images “Cuba’s next,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican and ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, after the U.S. and Israel began strikes on Iran. The U.S. has imposed an oil blockade on the communist-run island nation since January, shortly after its ally and a key provider of oil, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, was seized in an extraordinary U.S military operation. It has caused a worsening economic crisis and left Cuba facing its biggest test since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Now Iran, with which Cuba has a strategic partnership, is under sustained attack. “This communist dictatorship in Cuba, their days are numbered,” Graham told Fox News’s “Sunday Night in America.” Before the Iran strikes, Trump said he wanted a “friendly takeover” of the island, without giving details. The comments, alongside the …