By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON, Jan 27 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that “Cuba will be failing pretty soon,” adding that Venezuela, once the island’s top supplier, has not recently sent oil or money to Cuba.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Emboldened by the U.S. military’s seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a deadly raid earlier this month that Trump ordered, the Republican leader has talked of acting against Cuba and pressuring its leadership.
Trump has vowed to stop oil and money from longtime backer Venezuela from reaching Cuba.
KEY QUOTES
“Cuba will be failing pretty soon. Cuba is really a nation that’s very close to failing,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday.
“You know, they got their money from Venezuela. They got the oil from Venezuela. They are not getting that anymore,” he added.
CONTEXT
Trump has said Washington will “run” Venezuela where Maduro’s former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, became interim president and is governing the country under U.S. oversight.
The U.N. human rights office has said the U.S. raid in which Maduro was seized was a violation of international law.
Human rights experts say Trump’s focus on exploiting Venezuelan oil echoed an imperialist approach and raised questions about U.S. efforts to frame Maduro’s capture as a law enforcement action to cut drug trafficking.
Cuba’s president said this month Washington had no moral authority to force a deal on Cuba after Trump suggested the Communist-run island should strike an agreement with the U.S.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Alistair Bell)
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