Trump signals tougher Cuba stance after Iran

Washington: US President Donald Trump has described Cuba as a “failed nation”, blaming its worsening economic woes on the decline of support from Venezuela, which he said had long sustained Havana financially and energetically. “It’s a failed nation,” Trump said. “Without Venezuela, you know, Venezuela because it has such wealth in the ground, mostly in the ground, but Venezuela took care of them for years.” The US president said Cuba was struggling economically and lacked the resources to sustain itself.

“The country is starving, and it’s got no energy, it’s got no oil, it’s got no money, it’s got nothing,” Trump said. “It’s got a beautiful piece of land.”

Whether recent sanctions were intended to hasten the collapse of the Cuban government, Trump said the objective was different. “No, we just want them to be a nicely run country that can feed its people,” he said. “Venezuela was giving them the money to survive,” he added. “Now, the money is coming to us and it’s going to Venezuela.”

SANCTIONS ON CUBAN PREZ, CASTRO FAMILY

The US has announced fresh economic sanctions targeting Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, his family and relatives of former leader Raúl Castro, marking a renewed escalation of pressure on the communist-led island.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was “targeting the network that enables and funds Cuba’s subversive and radical operations” and would “no longer tolerate radical Marxist regi­mes” exporting their “poisonous and evil revolution” abroad.

CAN SECURE STRAIT ALONE, says TRUMP

Trump said the US did not require military assistance from European allies to safeguard navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and insisted the strategic waterway would reopen and remain secure.

If he still wanted European allies to help secure the strait, Trump said: “We don’t need their help. We’re the most powerful military in the world. We gave them a chance to help. We went to the Nato countries. We went to others, too.”

— Agencies

I like to do one thing at a time, and we'll take care of the Islamic Republic of Iran. And as soon as that's done on our way back, we'll just make a little brief stop. We have some very good plans for Cuba.

Donald trump 

US President