00:00I do believe I'll be the honor of having the honor of taking Cuba.
00:07U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that he had plans for Cuba.
00:12Taking Cuba in some form, yeah.
00:14Taking Cuba.
00:15I mean, whether I free it, take it.
00:19I think I can do anything I want with it.
00:20You want to know the truth?
00:21They're a very weakened nation right now.
00:25They were for a long time.
00:26Trump's comments come as the two countries have opened talks to improve relations,
00:31which are at their most fraught in decades.
00:33The New York Times says that removing Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel from office
00:38is a key U.S. objective in bilateral talks, citing four people familiar with the matter.
00:45Havana has long rejected interference in its internal affairs,
00:49treating such proposals as a deal-breaker for any agreement.
00:54Diaz-Canel says he expected talks with the United States to take place under the principles
00:59of equality and respect for the political systems of both countries' sovereignty and self-determination.
01:05But as the U.S. confronts Iran, and following its seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro,
01:11Trump has openly mused that Cuba could be next.
01:14And it may be a friendly takeover. It may not be a friendly takeover.
01:20A U.S.-imposed blockade has prevented Cuba from receiving oil shipments for some months.
01:25The country has had to implement severe energy rationing, leading to extended power outages.
01:31On Monday, Cuba's electric grid collapsed, leaving 10 million people without power.
01:37Despite the problems, some Cubans are trying to stay positive.
01:42Well, I'm a musician, and this really affects us a lot because our work and so on are being impacted.
01:48We need electronic equipment and such, but there's nothing we can do but face it and keep moving forward, see
01:54what happens.
01:56The White House has yet to detail the legal basis for any possible intervention in Cuba.
02:01The Cuban government did not respond to a request for comment.
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