Trump raises the possibility of a ‘friendly takeover of Cuba’ coming out of talks with Havana

What Happened

• US President Donald Trump publicly raised the possibility of a "friendly takeover" of Cuba, stating that the Cuban government was in talks with the United States and was in serious economic difficulty with "no money, no anything."
• The remarks come amid an aggressive US pressure campaign on Cuba: Trump signed an executive order threatening tariffs on any country selling oil to Cuba, which prompted Mexico to announce it would cease oil shipments to Cuba in February 2026.
• The broader context includes Trump's February 2025 military operation that abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro — a close Cuban ally — and the resultant displacement of one of Havana's most important political and economic partners.
• Trump has explicitly framed his Western Hemisphere policy around the Monroe Doctrine, even coining the term "Donroe Doctrine" (a portmanteau with his name) for his assertive approach — including territorial ambitions regarding Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal, and regime change postures toward Cuba and Venezuela.
• Cuba is currently facing a severe economic crisis exacerbated by the US embargo, the collapse of Venezuelan oil subsidies, and post-COVID tourism decline.

Static Topic Bridges

The Monroe Doctrine: Historical Basis for US Hemispheric Hegemony

The Monroe Doctrine, proclaimed by US President James Monroe in his annual message to Congress on December 2, 1823, declared that the Western Hemisphere was no longer open to European colonisation or interference — and that any such attempt would be treated as a threat to US security. Initially a relatively limited statement by a weak new republic, the doctrine evolved over time. The Roosevelt Corollary (1904, Theodore Roosevelt) extended it to justify US unilateral intervention in Latin American countries to stabilise their finances and prevent European intervention. The doctrine underpinned US interventions in Cuba (1898, 1961 Bay of Pigs), Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic, Grenada (1983), and Haiti. In the 20th century, Latin American nations consistently challenged the doctrine at the UN and through the 1948 OAS Charter (which affirmed state sovereignty and non-intervention). Trump's second term has explicitly revived the Monroe Doctrine as an operating principle, using economic coercion and military threats to reassert US dominance in the Western Hemisphere.

Cuba-US Relations: History of Conflict and Limited Engagement

Cuba and the US have had one of the most sustained bilateral antagonisms in modern history. Following the Cuban Revolution (1959) led by Fidel Castro, the US imposed a comprehensive economic, commercial, and financial embargo on Cuba (beginning 1960) that remains the longest-running economic blockade in modern international relations. The relationship saw limited normalisation under President Obama (2014-2016) — diplomatic relations were restored, embassies reopened, and some travel and remittance restrictions were eased — but Trump (first term, 2017-2021) reversed most of those concessions. Biden partially re-engaged but faced domestic political constraints. Trump's second term has re-designated Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism and re-imposed full pressure, including oil supply interdiction. Cuba's economy, heavily dependent on Venezuelan oil subsidies (which diminished after Venezuela's own economic collapse) and tourism, is in acute crisis — making it vulnerable to US pressure but also resistant, given the Cuban government's historical resilience under embargo.

Sovereignty, Non-Intervention, and the UN Charter Framework

The UN Charter (1945), specifically Articles 2(1) and 2(7), establishes state sovereignty and the principle of non-intervention in the domestic affairs of other states as foundational norms of international order. General Assembly Resolution 2625 (1970) — the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations — further elaborates the prohibition on the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. Trump's proposals regarding Cuba (and similarly Greenland, Canada, Panama Canal) represent a direct challenge to these norms, reasserting a 19th-century great power logic of spheres of influence over the post-1945 rules-based order. Latin American states, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and the G77 have historically been the strongest defenders of sovereignty norms at the UN — partly because they were the primary victims of Monroe Doctrine-era interventionism.

Key Facts & Data

• Monroe Doctrine proclaimed: December 2, 1823 (President James Monroe)
• Roosevelt Corollary: 1904 (President Theodore Roosevelt) — US right to intervene in Latin America
• US embargo on Cuba: in effect since 1960; codified in Helms-Burton Act (1996)
• Bay of Pigs invasion: April 1961 — CIA-backed; failed
• Cuban Missile Crisis: October 1962 — 13-day nuclear standoff; resolved via US-USSR diplomatic deal
• Obama normalisation: December 2014; embassies reopened July 2015
• Cuba re-designated State Sponsor of Terrorism by Trump (second term): 2025
• Cuba's oil dependency: ~100,000 barrels/day from Venezuela (now sharply reduced)
• Mexico announced end of oil shipments to Cuba: February 2026 (after Trump's tariff threat executive order)
• UNGA vote against US Cuba embargo (2022): 187-2 (only US and Israel voted against resolution)
• UN Charter Article 2(4): prohibits threat/use of force against territorial integrity of any state
• NAM founded: 1961, Belgrade; India a co-founder (Nehru was a founding leader)