DORAL, Florida — Donald Trump on Saturday launched the Shield of the Americas Summit with a pledge to “take care of Cuba,” signaling a tougher U.S. stance toward the island as Washington expands its involvement in the region.
Addressing a gathering of Latin American leaders at Trump National Doral Miami, Trump said several leaders had urged him to address Cuba’s situation.
“Many of you have come today and they say, ‘I hope you can take care of Cuba,’ because you have problems with Cuba, right?” Trump told the audience. “I was surprised, but four of you said, actually, ‘Could you do us a favor? Take care of Cuba.’ I’ll take care of it, OK?”
Leaders from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago attended the summit, which aims to strengthen cooperation on regional security and organized crime.
Trump said Cuba’s government was nearing its “last moments,” citing economic hardships and the loss of support from Venezuela, which had long supplied the island with oil and financial assistance.
The remarks come as tensions between Washington and Havana remain high and some Cuban-Americans have called for political change in the communist-run country.
Trump also pointed to developments in Venezuela following the U.S. capture of former president Nicolás Maduro earlier this year, saying the transition in leadership could serve as a model for broader regional change.
The summit is part of a new U.S.-backed coalition aimed at strengthening cooperation among countries in the Western Hemisphere to combat drug cartels, illegal migration and foreign influence.
