President of the United States Donald Trump stated on Monday that it would be "a great honor" for him to "take Cuba", amid rising tensions between Washington and Havana over the energy blockade affecting the island. "I really think I will have the honor of taking Cuba, somehow," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, as reported by Argentine News Agency. "I mean, to free it, or take it," the American leader clarified. These statements come in the context of a serious energy crisis in Cuba, where a widespread blackout was recorded on Monday, according to the national electric company. The situation has aggravated the economic difficulties the island is facing, marked by fuel shortages and structural problems in its electrical system. Historically, relations between the United States and Cuba have been marked by decades of economic embargo, sanctions, and political tensions since the diplomatic break following the 1959 revolution. In recent years, the tightening of U.S. measures has increased pressure on the Cuban government and contributed to the deterioration of living conditions in the country. Trump's words also come at a time of growing international debate over Washington's policy toward Cuba and the humanitarian impact of sanctions, in a regional and global scenario marked by new geopolitical tensions.
