President Donald Trump said Saturday he expects the United States and Cuba to reach an agreement and does not think military action will be necessary. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez later said Cuba remains open to dialogue with Washington.
The Trump administration has said its goal is to change Cuba’s government. A U.S.-imposed oil blockade implemented earlier this year has put the country under severe strain amid fuel shortages and blackouts, which are exacerbated by failing infrastructure.
At the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump called Cuba a failed state and said “freedom will be coming”; the Cuban delegation walked out during his speech. Rodriguez did not refer specifically to Trump’s Saturday comments, but said Cuba was open to commercial and business ties with U.S. companies while condemning the U.S. trade embargo, maintained for more than 60 years.
