President Trump on Saturday opened the Shield of the Americas Summit, a gathering of Latin American leaders, and pledged to “take care of Cuba” as the United States signals a stepped-up role in the region.
“Many of you have come today and they say, ‘I hope you can take care of Cuba. Because you have problems with Cuba, right?’” Trump told attendees. “I was surprised, but four of you said, actually, ‘Could you do us a favor? Take care of Cuba.’ I’ll take care of it, ok?” His remarks drew applause.
The meeting at the Trump National Doral Miami golf course in Doral, Florida, brought together the leaders of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago.
Trump’s comments came against a backdrop of heightened U.S.-Cuba tensions and long-standing calls from many Cuban-Americans for a change of government in the communist nation. The administration has loosened restrictions on Venezuelan oil shipments, allowing some private-sector sales to Cuba, while the island has faced fuel shortages and widespread blackouts that have left millions without power, according to The Associated Press.
Following reports and claims in January alleging the capture and arrest of Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro, some observers who favor toppling Cuba’s government have read Trump’s rhetoric as a potential signal that the U.S. might support action aimed at Cuba’s leader, Miguel Díaz-Canel.
Speaking about developments in Venezuela, Trump praised acting president Delcy Rodríguez for cooperating with the United States: “She’s doing a great job because she’s working with us. If she wasn’t working with us, I would not say she’s doing a great job. In fact, if she wasn’t working with us, I’d say she’s doing a very poor job, unacceptable, but she’s doing a great job.”
Trump said U.S. assistance — including American oil exports and planned trade in gold and minerals — has helped improve Venezuela’s economic outlook, and he described the recent transition there as a potential model for future regime changes.