Trump Threatens Cuba Takeover Amid Energy Crisis and Ultimatums

President Donald Trump has escalated pressure on Cuba through a virtual oil blockade and threats of military intervention, characterizing the island as a failing nation. Following the January 2026 capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, which severed Cuba's primary fuel supplies, Trump suggested that Cuba would be the next target of U.S. operations after the conclusion of the war with Iran. He has explicitly described the prospect of taking the island as an honor and announced a new dawn for Cuba.

In response to these threats, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has vowed to defend the nation to the last drop of blood, rejecting demands to resign or implement multi-party elections. While Díaz-Canel has expressed openness to unconditional dialogue, he warns that any U.S. incursion would lead to a battle. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Defense has affirmed its readiness to act if ordered, while Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation to block unconstitutional military funding.

Diplomatically, the U.S. Department of State dispatched a delegation to Havana in April 2026—the first government flight to land there since 2016. The U.S. offered sanctions relief and Starlink internet access in exchange for the release of political prisoners, economic liberalization, and compensation for confiscated assets. Trump subsequently issued a two-week ultimatum for these reforms. Simultaneously, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro attempted to bypass Secretary of State Marco Rubio by sending a secret proposal for economic cooperation directly to Trump via a courier, who was intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Miami.