By Michael J. Bustamante
Publication Date: 2026-05-15 12:44:00
Since U.S. commandos successfully removed Nicolás Maduro from power in Venezuela on January 3, 2026, speculation has mounted that “Cuba could be next” on the Trump administration’s list of targets.
“We will take over Cuba almost immediately,” President Donald Trump mused during a speech in Florida on May 1. “On the way back from Iran, we’re going to… have the USS Abraham Lincoln come right past Cuba, stop about 100 yards off the coast and they’re going to say, ‘Thank you very much, we give up.'”
It is difficult to say whether such remarks are just chatter. While the White House has been trying since January to force Cuban authorities into negotiated political and economic concessions through a virtual oil blockade, Trump has also reportedly become increasingly frustrated with the Cuban government’s ability to withstand months of sustained U.S. pressure.
That hasn’t stopped many Cubans and Cuban Americans from eagerly predicting or insisting on the success of a military operation…