Cuba Foreign Minister Voices Confidence Amid Trump Pressure

Cuba's foreign minister, Rodríguez, has projected confidence that the current Cuban government will survive President Donald Trump. In an exclusive interview published on October 29, 2026, by The New York Times, Rodríguez expressed that confidence at a time of sharp escalation between Washington and Havana.

The Times described the Trump administration as carrying out the most intense pressure campaign on Cuba in decades. Among the measures, the administration has imposed a fuel blockade on Cuba, blocking oil supplies to the island, according to Reuters reporting from October 21. On the same day, Cuba accused the United States of threatening countries that vote with Cuba ahead of a United Nations vote.

Earlier, in October 5 reporting, Reuters said Trump had stated that his goal is to fundamentally change Cuba's government. The same report said that the two countries maintain channels of communication but have no negotiations, according to a diplomat quoted by Reuters.

The dispute became visible at the United Nations in late October. In a speech there, Trump called Cuba a "failed state," prompting the Cuban delegation to walk out, according to a Telegraph report dated October 27. US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz then told Cuba's foreign minister to "back up" after the minister interrupted Waltz's address to the General Assembly.

On October 28, CNN reported that Waltz said the Trump administration is ejecting a Cuban diplomat from the United States amid soaring tensions.