Arya News - US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States could end up having "a friendly takeover" of Cuba.
"The Cuban government is talking with us, and they"re in a big deal of trouble, as you know. They have no money; they have no anything right now. But they"re talking with us, and maybe we"ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba. We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba," Trump told reporters. On Thursday, Miami Herald reported that US Department of State officials met with former Cuban President Raul Castro"s grandson Rodriguez Castro on the sidelines of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Conference to negotiate economic and political changes in Cuba. On February 18, Axios reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was allegedly holding secret talks with Rodriguez Castro, circumventing official Cuban government channels. The negotiations were reportedly seen as proof that Washington considers Raul Castro as the true decision maker on the island. On January 29, Trump signed an executive order authorizing the United States to impose tariffs on imports from countries that supply oil to Cuba and declared a state of emergency, citing an alleged threat to US national security posed by Cuba. The Cuban government accused the US of seeking to stifle the Caribbean nation"s economy and make living conditions unbearable for its population.