President Trump declared that the U.S. is “freeing up Cuba” after the Justice Department indicted Cuban leader Raul Castro.
Mr. Trump described the U.S. actions taken against Cuban leaders as something that Cubans living in the U.S. and on the Caribbean Island have wanted for many years.
“It was a very big moment for people that, not only Cuban Americans, but people that came from Cuba that want to go back to Cuba, people that want to see their family in Cuba. I think it’s a very big day, very important day,” he said.
“I have so many Cuban friends in Miami, mostly in Miami and Florida, and they’re unbelievable people. They’re unbelievable entrepreneurs, and they’d like to go back,” he said. “I think they’re hopefully going to want to live here, but they want to go back. Maybe they’ll look, and we’ll see what happens. But we’re freeing up Cuba.”
The president described Cuba as a “failing nation” that is “falling apart” and has no oil. He said the U.S. is there to help Cuban Americans and their families in Cuba. He also recalled that he was supported by 94% of Cuban Americans in the last presidential election.
Mr. Trump declined to comment on whether the U.S. military would capture and arrest Mr. Castro as it did in January with Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro.
Mr. Castro spent years at the pinnacle of Cuba’s government alongside his late brother, Fidel Castro. He was indicted on federal charges of murder and conspiracy to kill Americans stemming from the 1996 downing of airplanes delivering aid to Cuban refugees.
Mr. Castro was first vice president and minister of defense at the time of the shootdown, which the U.S. said happened in international waters. The attack killed U.S. citizens who were part of Brothers to the Rescue, a group of Cuban exiles that flew pro-democracy propaganda missions to the island.
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.