Trump predicts Cuba will “Fall Soon,” says Marco Rubio handling talks

U.S. President Donald Trump said Cuba “is going to fall pretty soon” during an interview with CNN, suggesting that his administration could soon turn its attention to the island after addressing other international priorities.

Speaking in response to a question from CNN anchor Dana Bash about Iran, Trump praised recent military developments before shifting the conversation to Cuba.

“Cuba is gonna fall pretty soon. They want to make a deal so badly,” Trump said. “I’m going to put Marco over there and we’ll see how that works out. We’re really focused on this one right now, but we’ve got plenty of time.”

Trump’s comments come as Cuba faces a deepening human rights and energy crisis, with widespread power outages, fuel shortages, and growing social discontent affecting residents across the island.

In early March, millions of Cubans were left without electricity after a major failure at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, exposing the fragility of the country’s power grid and the impact of fuel shortages on daily life. 

ADN Cuba has previously reported on frequent blackouts, shortages of basic goods, and increasing repression and economic hardship affecting residents across the island.

Trump said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is already leading contacts related to Cuba, signaling that the issue could become a priority for his administration once the situation in Iran is addressed.

A day earlier at the White House, Trump said it is only a “question of time” before Cuban Americans can return to their home country, suggesting that developments in Cuba may be next on the administration’s agenda after the ongoing war with Iran.

“He’s doing some job, and your next one is going to be, we want to do that special Cuba,” Trump said Thursday, referring to Rubio.
“He’s waiting. But he says, ‘Let’s get this one finished first.’ We could do them all at the same time, but bad things happen… We’re not going to let anything bad happen to this country.”

The U.S. president also discussed the situation in Iran, saying it would be “very easy” to resolve and comparing it to developments in Venezuela.

“It will work as it did in Venezuela. We have a wonderful leader there. She is doing a fantastic job,” he said, referring to Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed power after the capture of Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has repeatedly referred to the situation in Cuba, suggesting that Washington is closely monitoring the island’s political and economic crisis.

In February, Trump told reporters that his administration was in contact with the Cuban regime and urged Havana to reach an agreement with the United States, describing the situation on the island as a potential humanitarian crisis.

“We’re talking with Cuba right now. I have Secretary Rubio speaking with Cuba right now, and they should definitely come to an agreement because it is a real humanitarian threat,” the president said.

Trump also indicated that U.S. sanctions and the decades-old embargo would remain in place for now.

“We will see how everything turns out, but we are talking. In the meantime, there is an embargo — no oil, no money, nothing,” he added.

The U.S. president also referred to the Cuban-American community, saying many exiles would welcome political change on the island.

Cuban Americans “will be very happy when they can return and greet their relatives,” Trump said.

When asked about the possibility of an operation similar to the one that took place in Venezuela earlier this year, Trump declined to elaborate.

“If it were to happen, it would not be a very difficult operation, but I do not think that is necessary,” he said.