Havana– The Trump administration made clear on Tuesday that it sees Cuba as the next country where the US can fulfill its wishes on the world stage.
A day after Cuba’s third nationwide blackout in four months as the socialist island’s economy is hit by US sanctions, President Donald Trump said, “Cuba is in a very bad situation right now.”
The President said, “And we will do something with Cuba very soon.”
Trump administration is looking for President Miguel Diaz-Canel The US will need to continue talks with the Cuban government, according to a US official and a source with knowledge of talks between Washington and Havana. No details have been given about who the administration wants to see in power.
Many Cubans do not believe that Diaz-Canel, unlike revolutionary founding father Raul Castro and his family, has much power in Cuba.
Power was slowly being restored to hospitals and some homes on Tuesday afternoon, but officials warned that the collapsing power network could fail again.
Government blames US energy blockade for its troubles Trump warned in January Imposing tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is of Cuban heritage, said the island “has an economy that doesn’t work in the political and government system. They can’t fix it.”
A Cuban official said Monday that Cuba is ready to do business with American companies, but such promises have been made before.
“So they have to make dramatic changes,” Rubio said. “What they announced yesterday is not dramatic enough. It’s not going to fix it.”
The Trump administration is also demanding that Cuba release political prisoners and move toward political and economic liberalization in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. Trump has also raised the possibility of a “friendly takeover of Cuba.”
While Cuba produces 40% of its petroleum and is generating its own electricity, it is not enough to meet demand as its electric grid continues to collapse.
Cuba’s Energy and Mines Ministry said on Friday that the island had restored power systems to the western city of Pinar del Rio and the southeastern province of Holguín and that some “microsystems” were starting to operate in different areas.
State-owned media reported that by late Monday power had been restored to 5% of residents in the capital Havana, representing about 42,000 customers.
City residents are worried about food spoiling and trying to live in houses without lights.
“The power cuts are driving me crazy,” said Dalba Obido, 48. “Last night I fell down 27 stairs. Now I have to have surgery on my jaw. I fell because the lights were off.”
Tomás David Velázquez Felipe, 61, a Havana resident, said because of the frequent power outages he thinks Cubans who can afford it should pack up and leave the island. “What little we have will have to be plundered and eaten,” he said. “Our people are too old to suffer.”
____
Seung Min Kim and Aamer Madani contributed from Washington.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
