Trump on Cuba: May or may not be a "friendly takeover"


U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to members of the Republican Party, at Trump National Doral Miami in Miami, Florida, U.S., March 9, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

DORAL, Fla., March ⁠9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on ⁠Monday Cuba is in "deep trouble" on ‌a humanitarian basis and that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was dealing with the issue which may or ​may not be a "friendly takeover."

"He's ⁠dealing (with it) and ⁠it may be a friendly takover, it may not ⁠be ‌a friendly takeover. Wouldn't really matter because they're really down to...as they ⁠say, fumes. They have no energy, ​they have ‌no money," Trump, speaking at a news conference ⁠in ​Doral, Florida told reporters.

The Cuban government has said it is not in any high-level talks with ⁠the United States but has ​not outright denied press reports that U.S. officials may be in informal talks with Raul Guillermo ⁠Rodriguez Castro, the grandson of former Cuban President Raul Castro.

Cuban exiles who are largely concentrated in Miami have long dreamed of overthrowing the ​Cuban government or seeing it ⁠fall and have in the past plotted against ​the government that was ‌established by the late revolutionary ​leader Fidel Castro.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Caitlin Webber)

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