US: Trump hints at action against Cuba amid intensifying standoff

The US renewed threats of possible action against Cuba on Thursday, signaling a focus on changing the Caribbean island's communist system.

Both President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio weighed in on the issue.

Trump told reporters that past US presidents had considered intervening in Cuba but "it looks like I'll be the one that does it."

Trump, however, denied that the deployment of the USS Nimitz and its escort warships to the Caribbean for maritime exercises was intended to intimidate Cuba.

Why doesn't Rubio see a negotiated settlement?

Toeing the same line, Rubio said Washington preferred a diplomatic solution but warned the chances of a negotiated settlement with Cuba's communist government were "not high."

"They're not going to be able to wait us out or buy time. We're very serious, we're very focused," he said.

He added that Trump "always has the option to do whatever it takes to support and protect the national interest."

Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, has long taken a hard line against Cuba's communist leadership.

The secretary of state described Cuba as a national security threat because of its security and intelligence ties with China and Russia.

US indicts Raul Castro

On Wednesday, US Department of Justice announced the indictment of former Cuban President Raul Castro.

The 94-year-old Castro has been charged for his alleged role in the downing of two civilian US planes by Cuban air force fighter jets in 1996 when he served as defense minister.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel condemned the indictment as a political stunt aimed at justifying aggression against the island.

US indicts Cuba's Raul Castro over deadly 1996 plane attack

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Meanwhile, Rubio also said the US had detained Adys Lastres Morera, the sister of a senior executive at military-run conglomerate GAESA, after revoking her US green card.

Rubio had earlier accused GAESA of being guilty of enriching the country's elites while ordinary citizens suffer, calling it a "state within a state."

Reminiscent of Venezuelan operation, say experts

Many experts see the recent US steps against Cuba a replay of the same playbook the Trump administration followed when it captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a military operation in early January.

Amid crippling US sanctions, Cubans are facing daily blackouts lasting up to 20 hours and severe water shortages. Runaway inflation also caused prices for basic goods to soar, while trash has piled up across Havana.

China and Russia have both criticized the US actions against Cuba.

Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah