MIAMI (WSVN) - As the United States turns up the pressure on Cuba with additional sanctions, Cubans in South Florida are mixed on how effective the approach will be.
While answering questions from reporters outside of the White House, President Donald Trump spoke on the crisis unfolding in Cuba, Tuesday morning.
“Cuba is calling us, they need help. Cuba is a failed nation,” said Trump.
The comments come after the Trump administration announced sanctions targeting 11 elites with alleged ties to Cuba’s regime and three government entities, including the police and intelligence agencies. Those sanctions were announced after a report from Axios suggested the island nation had discussed plans to attack Guantánamo Bay and Key West after acquiring more than 300 drones.
The sanctions freeze any assets the targeted individuals may have in the U.S.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel released a statement on the social media platform X to refute those claims, accusing the U.S. of escalating tensions between the two countries. The post, translated to English, reads:
Under the leadership of our Party, State, Government, and its military institutions, no one has any assets or property to protect under U.S. jurisdiction.
The U.S. government knows this full well-so much so that there isn’t even any evidence to present. The anti-Cuban rhetoric of hate tries to make people believe such things exist in order to justify the escalation of its total economic war.
That’s why we will continue to denounce, in the firmest and most energetic way possible, the genocidal siege that seeks to strangle our people.
While preparing to discuss ongoing efforts to construct a secure ballroom at the White House, Trump pointed to the suffering endured by many Cuban Americans who escaped the island in search of a better life.
“I am very prone toward the Cuban Americans, they’ve been incredible people. Many of them have lost family members, they’ve been very badly hurt themselves, they’ve been imprisoned, they’ve come to this country and they’ve been very successful. The Cuban American people in Miami, I mean, they are amazing people,” said Trump. “I’m very, very prone to helping them.”
Meantime, many Cubans across South Florida are feeling antsy about the new round of sanctions.
“Nothing happens. They only – these people only understand force,” said Cuban American John Gonzalez.
Some argue the U.S. should instead carry out a similar military operation to that in Venezuela, which led to U.S. forces detaining former leader Nicolás Maduro to face charges.
“They should go over there, pick up Díaz-Canel, pick up [Raúl] Castro, everybody else from that little group, bring them here,” said Gonzalez.
“I think they should do something like in Venezuela. We’ve had 67 years in the same war, the same dictatorship,” said Cuban American Ronal Delgado.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a statement regarding the sanctions:
“These sanctions advance the Trump administration’s comprehensive campaign to address the pressing national security threats posed by Cuba’s communist regime and hold accountable the regime and those who provide it material or financial support. [Monday’s] designation further restricts the Cuban regime’s ability to suppress the will of the Cuban people.”
On Monday, Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez shared his thoughts on the potential drone attack threat from the island.
“It’s pretty clear the situation in Cuba is getting worse,” said Giménez.
Trump hedged on whether the U.S. is willing to carry out any military operations to force a regime change in Cuba.
“Well, I don’t know about changing the regime, I can do that, whether you change the regime or not, it’s been a rough regime. They’ve killed a lot of people,” said Trump.
As tensions continue, the U.S. Department of Justice continues to move toward an indictment of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, the brother of Fidel Castro, over the downing of two Brothers to the Rescue planes, which killed three Cuban Americans and one legal U.S. resident in 1996.
Despite tensions over a potential drone attack and aggressive conflict, many Cuban Americans remain hopeful this is the best opportunity in decades to bring about a free Cuba.
“This is the first time in my life I see the nearest to the freedom it is right now, and I say if nothing happens in these four years with Trump and Rubio in charge, forget Cuba,” said Delgado.
Castro’s indictment for his role in shooting down those two planes in 1996 is expected to be unsealed in Miami federal court, Wednesday.
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