by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
WASHINGTON/HAVANA (Worthy News) – Communist-run Cuba was preparing for more uncertainty Saturday after U.S. President Donald J. Trump suggested he may annex the island, though he indicated it would be less bloody than during the removal of Venezuela’s authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump said Friday that Cuba faces significant challenges and floated the possibility of what he described as a “friendly takeover” of the island by the United States.
“The Cuban government is talking with us. They’re in a big deal of trouble,” Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House as he left for a trip to Texas.
“We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba after many, many years. We’ve had a lot of years of dealing with Cuba. I’ve been hearing about Cuba since I’m a little boy.”
He spoke as tensions escalated following a deadly gunfire exchange on February 25 in Cuban waters between the Cuban coast guard and a U.S.-registered speedboat.
U.S.–CUBA TENSIONS RISE
Cuban officials said four people were killed and six injured when the boat — allegedly carrying armed Cuban exiles — entered the country’s territorial waters. Havana added that it is cooperating with U.S. authorities to clarify the circumstances.
The incident has heightened concerns about a possible confrontation between Washington and Havana at a time when the island nation is already grappling with its worst economic crisis in decades.
A U.S. takeover, if it were to occur, was expected to lead to greater freedom for devout Christians who have long complained about persecution and state pressure.
Advocacy group Open Doors says Cuba remains on its World Watch List of countries where Christians face significant restrictions.
Watchdog Christian Solidarity Worldwide has also documented cases in recent years involving short-term detentions, interrogations, and restrictions on religious activities, particularly targeting outspoken church leaders.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CONCERNS
Cuba has a population of about 11 million people. While the country is officially secular, a majority of Cubans identify as Christian, primarily Roman Catholic, alongside a growing number of evangelical and Protestant believers.
Estimates vary, but advocacy groups say several million Christians live on the island. Many worship in state-recognized churches, while others meet in house churches that sometimes face greater scrutiny from authorities, including surveillance and limitations on registration.
With concerns mounting over Cuba’s reported human rights violations and deepening economic woes, Trump noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was engaged in discussions with Cuban leaders “at a very high level.”
“They have no money, they have no oil, they have no food, and it’s really right now a nation in deep trouble, and they want our help,” Trump said.
Cuba has been going through its worst economic crisis in decades for nearly a year and a half, largely due to a collapse in energy supplies.
CUBA ECONOMIC CRISIS
The country had depended heavily on oil from Venezuela, but those shipments stopped after Maduro was removed from power earlier this year, worsening the crisis.
Imports from Mexico also ended after Trump ordered tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba.
Severe fuel shortages have led to frequent blackouts and disrupted transportation.
The country is also grappling with widespread shortages of food and medicine.
Increased pressure from the Trump administration could eventually lead to the fall of the communist regime that has ruled Cuba since 1959, experts say.
REGIME CHANGE DEBATE
During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on January 28, Senator Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio whether he would publicly commit that the United States would not become involved in efforts “to change Cuba’s regime.”
Rubio responded that while Washington would like to see change in Cuba, that did not necessarily mean direct U.S. action.
Cuba’s deputy foreign minister, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, said Havana remains in communication with U.S. officials regarding the maritime shootings and broader tensions, as questions mount over the future of U.S.–Cuba relations and the status of religious freedom on the island.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Americans added another $21 billion in credit card debt during the second quarter of 2026, pushing outstanding balances to roughly $1.26 trillion and bringing consumer borrowing close to its record high.
Israel is moving to expand the use of autonomous strike systems across its frontline forces, awarding a new Defense Ministry contract to develop a next generation of low-cost tactical attack drones for the Israel Defense Forces.
The United States has publicly rejected Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz’s declaration that Israeli troops will remain in southern Lebanon for the long term, exposing a widening disagreement between Washington and Jerusalem over how to secure Israel’s northern border.
Millions across Europe watched Wednesday as a rare total solar eclipse swept across the northern Atlantic and portions of the continent, an extraordinary celestial event unfolding just hours before the biblical calendar entered Elul — the month traditionally associated with repentance, spiritual preparation and the approach of the King.
The State Department has launched a new task force targeting “birth tourism” networks accused of exploiting U.S. immigration laws to secure American citizenship for children born to foreign nationals visiting the United States.
More details have emerged about an extraordinary secret flight by U.S. President Donald J. Trump, who was reportedly moved between aircraft inside a catering truck amid fears of an Iranian attempt on his life.
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least 12 people and wounded dozens more, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday, as Kyiv accused Moscow of using North Korean ballistic missiles in its escalating air campaign.