The President of the United States, Donald Trump, said this Friday that “Cuba is next” during a speech at an investment forum in Miami, in which he described as recent successes of US military action abroad. His statements rekindle tensions with Havana at a time of increasing pressure on the island
.The president did not specify what kind of measures his government could adopt against Cuba, although he hinted that both diplomatic channels and stronger options are still on the table. “I built a great army. They would never have to use it, but sometimes you have to use it. And Cuba is next,” he said, before downplaying his own words by asking that they be ignored
.Trump's statements come in a context in which his administration has intensified contacts with sectors of the Cuban leadership, in parallel with a strategy of sustained pressure. The president himself has suggested on previous occasions that the island's government could face an imminent collapse due to the serious economic crisis it
is going through.From Havana, dictator Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged that there are talks with Washington, in an attempt to prevent a possible escalation of the conflict. The Cuban economic situation has deteriorated significantly in recent months, largely due to the reduction in the supply of oil, a key resource for its energy and transportation system
.Historically, Cuba relied on oil shipped by Venezuela under the regime of Nicolás Maduro. However, following the political changes in Caracas and under pressure from the United States, those shipments have been interrupted, aggravating the energy crisis on the
