DONALD Trump has said he can do “anything I want with Cuba” as the island’s crumbling electricity grid plunges millions into darkness.
Speaking in the Oval Office, the US President labelled the island a “weakened state” and hinted it could soon be on the agenda once the conflict in the Middle East is resolved.
When asked about Cuba, Trump said: “I think Cuba sees the end. You know, all my life I’ve been hearing about the United States and Cuba, when will the United States do it?
“I do believe I’ll have the honour of taking Cuba – that’s a big honour.
“Taking Cuba in some form, yeah. I mean, whether I free it, take it – I can do anything I want with it, if you want to know the truth?”
The extraordinary remarks come as Cuba reels from a power collapse that has left large parts of the island without electricity.
As many as ten million people are without power as the fragile grid buckled under immense strain.
Oil shipments from Venezuela have been halted since the US arrested Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
The loss of fuel has pushed the already fragile power system to breaking point.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz‑Canel said no petroleum shipments have arrived on the island for the past three months.
Simultaneously, Trump has threatened to hit any country selling oil to Cuba with tariffs.
Grid operator UNE said engineers have begun slowly restoring power to small clusters of circuits across the country.
The crisis comes as Washington ramps up pressure on Havana amid a worsening regional standoff.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said negotiations with the Cuban government were ongoing but warned the situation could change quickly.
“Cuba also make to a deal, and I think we will pretty soon either make a deal or do whatever we have to do,” Trump said.
“We’re talking to Cuba, but we’re going to do Iran before Cuba.”
Earlier this month, Trump even floated the idea of a “friendly takeover” of the island before quickly adding it “may not be a friendly takeover.”
Power outages have become an everyday part of Cuban island life, with cuts lasting up to 20 hours a day.
The collapse has been particularly devastating for tourism which is a vital pillar of Cuba’s economy.
The blackouts – combined with chronic shortages of food and medicine – have left many Cubans increasingly desperate.
Demonstrators took to the streets, vandalising a Communist Party office.
Banging pots and pans and yelling “Libertad” – meaning freedom – protesters vented their fury at the country’s worsening living conditions.
President Díaz-Canel acknowledged the demonstrations on social media but condemned the violence.
“What will never be comprehensible, justified or admitted is violence,” he said.
