Trump Vows No Castro Will Remain in Power by the End of His Presidency; Sets Bold Plan for Cuba

President Donald Trump confidently stated on Friday that there is a zero chance of a Castro remaining in control of Cuba by the time his term ends. He outlined a bold strategy placing Cuba as the next target after operations in Venezuela and Iran.

“It won’t last much longer. Look, it’s a failed state. We’re going to bring people back very soon. See what we did with Venezuela. It’s going to work out very well,” Trump declared during an interview with journalist Benny Johnson recorded in Florida, now widely shared on social media.

The President laid out a clear strategic sequence: complete the operation in Iran—where he claimed the destruction of the navy, air force, anti-aircraft systems, and leadership—and then “move on to the other.” “We’ll finish that, and then maybe take a look at the other one,” he said, directly referencing Cuba.

Trump set a specific timeline of two and a half years and designated Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the overseer of the Cuban dossier. “We have Marco looking at it very closely. His parents are from Cuba, and it will definitely be resolved within two and a half years,” he asserted.

These statements align with a narrative Trump has reiterated throughout 2026. In March, he expressed it would be an “honor” to take control of Cuba, asserting he could do whatever he wanted with the island. In May, he announced that the U.S. would act “almost immediately” after finishing in Iran.

On October 23, in Fort Myers, Trump again linked the return of warships from Iran with a stop in front of Cuba, stating that he would send Rubio to “seal the deal.”

The precedent Trump often cites is the capture of Nicolás Maduro, who was detained by U.S. forces on January 3, 2026. The question posed by Johnson in his publication—could a Venezuela-style operation occur against the Cuban communists?—encapsulates the debate reignited by the President’s remarks.

Legal pressure adds weight to this scenario. In May, the federal Justice Department brought charges against Raúl Castro and five former Cuban military officers for the downing of two Brothers to the Rescue planes on February 24, 1996, which resulted in the deaths of Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Peña, and Armando Alejandre Jr. The charges include four counts of murder, aircraft destruction, and conspiracy.

Weeks later, on October 16, a Florida judge issued an additional state arrest warrant against Castro for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, without bail. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier publicly announced this on October 19 in Miami. Castro is considered a fugitive from U.S. justice.

Rubio has labeled Cuba as “certainly a priority” for the administration, urging Cubans to form a “discreet partnership” with the CIA to foster political change on the island, hoping that before the term ends, the island will be on an “irreversible path” toward a different future.

Simultaneously, economic pressure has been intense: the U.S. intercepted at least seven tankers during 2026, reducing Cuban crude imports by 80% to 90%, and in September, sanctioned Raúl Castro’s grandson along with the Cuban Foreign Bank and four state entities linked to energy and mining.

Trump encapsulated his stance with a phrase that underscores the threat: “We are watching Cuba very closely, and we have Marco watching it extremely closely. It will definitely be resolved within two and a half years.”