From Fox News: President Donald Trump late Sunday predicted Cuba was “ready to fall” after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, warning that Havana can no longer rely on Caracas for security and oil.
Trump said Cuba’s fate is now directly tied to Maduro’s ouster and the collapse of Venezuela’s ability to bankroll allies in the region.
Asked if he was considering U.S. action in Cuba, Trump replied: “I think it’s just going to fall. I don’t think we need any action. Looks like it’s going down. It’s going down for the count.”
The president’s comments were made during a press gaggle with reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday.
During the gaggle, Trump hit on a number of issues.
Update on US troops injured during Maduro operation
Trump said, “It was a very dangerous operation. It was amazing that we had a few injured, but all are in good shape right now.”
“… Amazing talent and tremendous patriotism, bravery — The bravery was incredible.”
“They got off the helicopter, and the bullets were flying all over the place. As you know, one of the helicopters got hit pretty badly. But then we got everything back and nobody killed.”
Trump lays out U.S. demands for Venezuela’s interim leader
Trump said the U.S. needs broad access to help rebuild Venezuela.
“We need total access,” he said. “We need access to the oil and to other things in their country that allow us to rebuild their country.”
The “other thing” Trump referred to was Venezuela’s crumbling infrastructure, including “roads that aren’t built and bridges that are falling down.”
Explains why “narco-terrorist state” Venezuela hit
Trump said Venezuela exported chaos with drugs into the U.S.and that their criminal networks were allowed to operate freely.
“They sent drugs into our country,” Trump said. “We’re stopping it rapidly.”
“Every time we knock down a boat, that’s lives saved,” he said, noting that He U.S. interdiction efforts have cut maritime drug trafficking by 97 percent.
“He sent hundreds of thousands — even millions — of people from prisons, from mental institutions,” Trump said of Maduro
“This is what the voters voted for,” he added.
Trump says oil companies — not U.S. taxpayers — will rebuild Venezuela’s energy sector
The president explained that Venezuela’s oil industry is now “rusty,” “broken,” and largely unusable.
“They stole our oil,” Trump said. “They took our infrastructure, and now it’s all rotted and decayed.”
Trump then revealed that outside oil companies are prepared to invest billions to restore production and rebuild refineries, efforts that will stabilize the country and benefit the U.S.
“We’re not going to invest anything,” Trump said. “The oil companies are going to go in, rebuild the infrastructure, and take the oil out of the ground.”
The U.S. will allow private-sector investment to drive the recovery, he said.
“We’re in the business of having countries around us that are viable and successful,” Trump said.
Restoring Venezuela’s energy sector should help Venezuelans build their lives at home, rather than trying to flee to other countries, he said.
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