Trump previously expressed his intention to change Cuba’s communist government (Photo: AP).
The US has maintained an embargo on Cuba for more than 60 years, while the Trump administration has increased pressure on Havana.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Washington hopes Cuba will choose “a different path” from communism, warning the Cuban government to recognise the consequences of failing to change course. “We are hopeful that Cuba will choose a different path,” Rubio told Fox News, adding that he hoped “some people” controlling the Cuban government would “open their eyes to the reality of what they are facing. Rubio also warned those who believe they can wait out the Trump administration that they would “learn the lesson the hard way” if they refuse to change course. “Unfortunately, the people that continue there to chant revolutionary slogans, too many of them still believe that they could wait out this administration and make no changes or do nothing,” Rubio said.
This has included actions against Venezuela, where the US military removed and seized former president Nicolas Maduro in January.
US President Donald Trump has previously expressed his intention to change Cuba’s communist government. Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Saturday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said Havana would always remain open to dialogue with Washington.