Trump Tells Global Investors 'Cuba Is Next' in Remarks That Sent Shockwaves Through Latin America and Financial Markets

President Trump raised eyebrows and sparked immediate international reaction Friday when he told a room full of global investors in Miami Beach that Cuba was the next target of U.S. foreign policy attention following ongoing military operations against Iran and the administration's recent removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. 'And Cuba is next, by the way,' Trump said at the Future Investment Initiative Summit, hosted by the Saudi-backed FII Institute at the Faena Forum. 'But pretend I didn't say that. Please, please, please media, please disregard that statement.' He then repeated it.

The remarks came during a wide-ranging address to the gathering of international business leaders and sovereign wealth fund representatives in which Trump touted the administration's foreign policy moves over the past several weeks. He claimed that negotiations with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz were progressing, and he suggested that the U.S. capture and removal of Maduro from Venezuela had demonstrated the administration's willingness to use force in the Western Hemisphere. Trump has previously said he believes Cuba's government, which is facing a severe economic crisis and widespread power outages, is on the verge of collapse.

The Cuban government issued a sharp response within hours, calling Trump's remarks a threat of aggression and summoning the charge d'affaires at the Swiss embassy — which represents U.S. interests in Havana — to formally protest. The Cuban Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the country's government would resist any military threat. Several Latin American governments, including Mexico and Brazil, issued statements expressing concern about what they characterized as dangerous escalatory rhetoric. The European Union called for restraint.

Trump also used the FII speech to take a swipe at NATO, saying the alliance's refusal to participate alongside the United States in the Iran military campaign was a 'tremendous mistake' that he said would ultimately benefit American leverage. He suggested the U.S. might reassess its financial commitment to the alliance as a result. And he floated the idea of renaming the Strait of Hormuz the 'Strait of Trump' — a quip that drew laughter from the audience — before adding that the U.S. would 'have control of anything we want' in the region.

The Cuba comments sent shockwaves through financial markets. Cuba-adjacent investments, already sensitive to geopolitical risk in the Western Hemisphere, fluctuated as traders and analysts tried to assess whether Trump's remarks signaled a genuine policy shift or off-the-cuff improvisation. Cuba has been under a U.S. economic embargo since the 1960s, and despite some easing during the Obama administration, relations have remained tense under subsequent presidents. The Trump administration had already tightened sanctions on Cuba during Trump's first term. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters Friday afternoon that the president 'speaks his mind' but declined to characterize Cuba policy formally, saying the administration would have more to say in the coming days.