Trump: I Believe I'll Have 'the Honor of Taking Cuba'

Amid reports that the US is pressuring Havana to remove its president from power, President Trump is renewing his talk of taking control of the island nation. "I do believe I'll be … having the honor of taking Cuba," Trump told reporters on Monday, reports the Guardian. "Whether I free it, take it—I think I could do anything I want with it. You want to know the truth. They're a very weakened nation right now." The comments came as Cuba grapples with a nationwide blackout amid tightened US oil restrictions, per the BBC.

On Monday evening, meanwhile, NBC News reported a notable shift in Cuban policy: The government will allow Cuban nationals living abroad, including in the US, to invest in the nation's private sector and to own businesses. "Cuba is open to having a fluid commercial relationship with US companies" and "also with Cubans residing in the United States and their descendants," Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, deputy prime minister, told the outlet.

Washington has ramped up pressure on Cuba since cutting off Venezuelan oil shipments and threatening penalties on other suppliers, moves that have strained the country's outdated power system. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, 65, has said he is open to talks under terms of "equality and respect." The Guardian describes him as a "key figurehead," noting that the Communist regime that has run Cuba for decades would remain in place should he be ousted.