The “Monroe Doctrine” has returned with a vengeance in 2026, Speaking at the Saudi-backed FII Priority investment forum in Miami, the American President made no effort to hide his intentions for the communist-led island. While dismissing concerns over the political fallout of his recent foreign interventions, the President explicitly stated that “Cuba is Next” citing the need for “strength” and “victory” within the MAGA movement.
This announcement follows months of escalating tension, including a de facto oil blockade imposed in January that has crippled the Cuban economy. The President’s statement suggests that the successful January raid to seize Nicolas Maduro was merely a rehearsal for a larger objective: “taking” Cuba. “I built this great military,” he told the cheering audience. “I said, ‘You’ll never have to use it,’ but sometimes you have to use it. And Cuba is next, by the way.”
A Nation on the Brink of Collapse
The timing of the statement “Cuba is Next” coincides with a period of unprecedented domestic instability for Havana. Cuba was hit with two nationwide blackouts in a single week, leaving millions in the dark as the U.S. embargo and oil blockade take their toll. Cuban leader Miguel Diaz-Canel has vowed that any external aggressor will face fierce opposition, even as his government struggles to provide basic food and medical supplies.
Tensions spiked further on Friday as two sailboats from an international aid convoy delivering solar panels and food to Cuba were reported missing and remain unaccounted for, sparking fears of a maritime confrontation.
The New Latin American Doctrine
By dubbing the Strait of Hormuz the “Strait of Trump” and then immediately pivoting to the Caribbean, the administration is making it clear that Washington intends to tighten its grip on the Western Hemisphere. While top Cuban diplomats have expressed a willingness to continue dialogue, they remain firm that changing their political system is “out of the question.” This refusal to blink, coupled with the President’s public “teasing” that “Cuba is Next” sets the stage for a potentially violent confrontation just 90 miles from the Florida coast.
Jokes, Laughter, and Lethal Intent
The casual nature with which the President said “Cuba is next” to a laughing audience shouldn’t mask the lethal intent behind the policy. This isn’t just a campaign statement; it is the culmination of a second-term strategy to systematically dismantle “hostile” regimes in the Americas.
If “Cuba is Next” then we are looking at a conflict that could dwarf the Venezuelan raid in complexity. Unlike the targeted seizure of a single leader, “taking” Cuba involves navigating decades of revolutionary fervor and a population that has survived sixty years of an embargo. The “Strait of Trump” may be open for business, but the Florida Straits are about to become the most dangerous waters on Earth.
