In language that echoes 19th-century imperialism, Donald Trump declared over the weekend that he expects to have "the honor" of taking control of Cuba and would "do whatever I want" with the island nation.
"I think I'll have the honor of taking Cuba," Trump said in a video circulated on social media. "That's going to be good. It's a tremendous honor. I can liberate it or I can keep it - I think I can do whatever I want with it."
The comments, which treat an independent nation of 11 million people as if it were property to be seized, have sparked outrage across Latin America and renewed questions about Washington's respect for regional sovereignty.
The remarks come as Trump faces mounting criticism over the Iran war, with his own counterterrorism chief resigning in protest. The Cuba threat appears to be an attempt to shift attention to a "win" closer to home - but the language recalls the worst of American interventionism.
"This is how empires talked in 1898, not 2026," said Jorge Domínguez, a Cuba expert at Harvard University. "The casual assumption that the United States can simply 'take' a sovereign nation reveals a profound ignorance of international law and Latin American history."
<h2>Regional Backlash</h2>
The reaction from Latin America has been swift and unified. Mexico's foreign ministry issued a statement reaffirming support for Cuba's sovereignty, while Brazil's President Lula called the comments "a direct threat to our entire region."
Even right-leaning governments that have been critical of Havana pushed back. Argentina's foreign ministry said any military action against Cuba would be "unacceptable" and violate the Organization of American States charter.
The language is particularly alarming given Trump's track record. During his first term, he threatened to invade Venezuela and referred to Latin American countries as sources of "bad hombres." This time, he's already at war with Iran - raising questions about whether the Cuba threat is bluster or blueprint.
<h2>Cuba's Response</h2>
Havana has remained publicly calm, with officials noting that the island has survived decades of U.S. hostility, including the Bay of Pigs invasion, hundreds of assassination attempts against Fidel Castro, and a 60-year embargo.
"We've heard this before," said Bruno Rodríguez, Cuba's foreign minister, in a tweet. "The Cuban people have defended their sovereignty against far more serious threats than the fantasies of a desperate politician."
But privately, Cuban diplomats are working to shore up support from Russia and China, both of which have economic and strategic interests in the island. Any U.S. military move against Cuba would likely trigger a geopolitical crisis extending far beyond the Caribbean.
<h2>Historical Echoes</h2>
The comments recall the darkest chapters of U.S.-Latin American relations. Washington supported coups in Guatemala, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil during the Cold War. It invaded Panama, Grenada, and the Dominican Republic. It funded death squads in El Salvador and contras in Nicaragua.
For decades, Latin American leaders have worked to establish the principle that the hemisphere is no longer anyone's "backyard" - a phrase that infuriates from Mexico City to Buenos Aires. Trump's language suggests he never got the memo.
"Twenty countries, 650 million people, and yes, we're more than your neighbor's problems," said Ernesto Londoño, a Colombian analyst at the Wilson Center. "Somos nuestra propia historia - we are our own history. And that history includes standing up to exactly this kind of threat."
Whether Trump means it or not, the damage is done. Across Latin America, the message is clear: Washington still sees the region as territory to be dominated, not partners to be respected.
And that, more than any single policy, will define U.S. influence in the hemisphere for a generation.
