Donald Trump has casually threatened to “take” Cuba as the country is plunged into darkness amid an oil blockade launched by the US in January.

“I do believe I’ll be having the honour of taking Cuba,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday evening. “Whether I free it, take it — think I could do anything I want with it, [if] you want to know the truth. They’re a very weakened nation right now.”

Cuba has not received any oil imports since 9 January. Around 50% of Cuba’s oil formerly came from Havana, whose reserves have been controlled by the US since the capture of former president Nicolas Maduro on 3 January.

The US declared later that month that any other country exporting oil to Cuba would face additional tariffs on US imports, therefore strangling the island state’s aged grid.

Cuba is now facing a “complete shutdown of the national grid”, according to the Union Nacional Electrica de Cuba.

Trump has warned that since removing Maduro in January and taking on Iran, Cuba will be “next”.

Cuba is the sole communist country outside Asia. President Miguel Díaz-Canel took over from Raul Castro in 2019 and is the country’s first leader not to bear the Castro surname since the Cuban revolution of 1953-1959.

Sophia Sheera is a journalist in Novara Media’s social media team.

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