--- title: Donald Trump: Cuba Deal Might Be nixed description: President-elect Donald Trump threatened Monday to distance the U.S. from Cuba if the Cuban government refuses to "make a better deal" canonical: https://time.com/4583419/donald-trump-cuba-fidel-castro/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-11-28T15:19:07.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T15:29:24.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Donald Trump Threatens to 'Terminate' Cuba Deal og:description: "If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal" og:url: https://time.com/4583419/donald-trump-cuba-fidel-castro/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9a6f35a38d2dd5b4/6988afab656a3f5a0cbcdf75/gettyimages-624646266.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4271 og:image:height: 2402 og:image:alt: Donald Trump Holds Weekend Meetings In Bedminster, NJ og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Donald Trump Threatens to 'Terminate' Cuba Deal twitter:description: "If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9a6f35a38d2dd5b4/6988afab656a3f5a0cbcdf75/gettyimages-624646266.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Donald Trump Threatens to 'Terminate' Cuba Deal > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=7ded590b-f80e-472d-b7a2-31016f590e83&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Fidel Castro Dies Aged 90 [Watch (HLS stream): Fidel Castro Dies Aged 90](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/GhhftOhs.m3u8) (3:37)  _Published 2016-11-26. Former President Fidel Castro, who led a rebel army to improbable victory in Cuba, embraced Soviet-style communism and defied the power of 10 U.S. presidents during his half century rule, has died at age 90._ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Updated: Dec 13, 2023 3:29 PM UTCPublished: Nov 28, 2016 3:19 PM UTC by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Updated: Dec 13, 2023 3:29 PM UTCPublished: Nov 28, 2016 3:19 PM UTC [President-elect Donald Trump](http://time.com/tag/donald-trump/) threatened Monday to distance the U.S. from Cuba if the Cuban government refuses to “make a better deal” than the agreement President Obama struck to normalize relations between the countries. His comments put the future of the relationship in doubt just days after [the death of longtime Cuban strongman Fidel Castro](http://time.com/4582621/fidel-castro-dies-cuba-legacy/). “If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal,” Trump said on Twitter. Obama worked to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba late into his term in office. Under the new terms, Americans can travel freely to Cuba and bring some Cuban goods to the U.S. However, aides to Trump have hinted there could be a reversal of that policy. “There’s going to have to be some movement from Cuba in order to have a relationship with the United States,” Reince Priebus, Trump’s incoming White House Chief of Staff, said on _Fox News Sunday_. He cited freeing political prisoners and ensuring religious and political freedom as important steps. “We’ve got to have a better deal,” he said. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Monday that the death of Fidel Castro will not impact the efforts to normalize relations between the two nations. “I wouldn’t expect any impact on the kind of progress that we’re committed to making on our end to begin normalizing relations with Cuba,” Earnest said. ## Transcript [ APPLAUSE ] Depending on whom you talk to Fidel Castro was a revered revolutionary legend or a despised tyrannical dictator. [ APPLAUSE ] There is little middle ground. [ APPLAUSE ] Castro came to power in 1959 in a widely popular revolution overthrowing Cuba's then dictator Fulgencio Batista. The new government quickly gain the recognition of the United States. But it wasn't long before the bearded rebels left this ideology. Put them on a collision course with America. Especially when he allied himself with the Soviet Union. Seeing a new threat just 90 miles offshore, the US decided to act. I have directed the armed forces to prepare- First, launching a trade embargo, followed by the failed CIA- backed Bay of Pigs Invasion and several assassination attempts on Castro. All this while the Cuban leader allowed the Soviet Union to secretly build nuclear missile bases on the island. When they were discovered by the U. S in 1962, the so- called Cuban missile crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. As Castro turn on more and more socialism, thousands of his well to do Cubans fled the country. The millions left behind became part of his new social experimental one party communist state. Led by one man, himself. He imposed the idea that those who didn't like it could leave. He divided families. Many saw positives. Education and healthcare for all. Racial integration. What Fidel achieved in the social order of this country has not been achieved by any poor nation and even by many rich countries despite being submitted to enormous pressures. But critics say it came at a terrible cost. The dreams of freedom that they've given the Cuban people we're turn into the nightmare we live today. Cause we have a totalitarian regime which our basic liberties have been abolish. What Castro never manage to achieve was economic prosperity even with the years of subsidies with the Soviet Union. For that Castro always blame the United States and it's embargo. But many blame the man himself. Pointing to his unwavering belief in an outdated and inefficient socialist model. Castro had little tolerance for dissent. [ FOREIGN ] Opponents were often dismissed as traitors, imprisoned, or exiled. As more and more dissidents ended up under arrest, Castro became the target of international condemnation. Look like so many times before, Castro never backed down, proudly defending his record on human rights. There hasn't been a single case of death quads here. Never has a person disappeared in Cuba, which has been common practice all over Latin America. So we feel proud of our clean record with relation to this problem. Call it pride or selective reasoning, But Castro never lost faith on the revolution. Opponents can see Castro's popularity diminish as his beard grow wider but his intelligence and shrewdness continue to command firm and respect. It will eventually outlive many of his critics and outlast ten US administrations. In the end, it was illness, not Washington that forced him to retire. [ MUSIC ] Passing Cuba's leadership to his younger brother, Raul. It is last year, Castro appeared only occasionally, mostly in photos looking frail. At times he tried to play the role of elder stage man but more and more, he simply seem In consequential. [ FOREIGN ] The Cuban government has been very agile. It has slowly removed him from the scene. It would have been one thing if he had abruptly died back in July 31st, 2006. Instead his image and importance have slowly faded. Castro always insisted death was not something he feared. [ FOREIGN ] And I have never been afraid of death. [ FOREIGN ] I have never been concerned about this . >> [ FOREIGN ] I have not to feel attached to this issues . >> [ FOREIGN ] I have not been attached to that which is called the power . >> That latter statement seems ironic, coming from a man who almost single handedly dictated over Cuba. For nearly half a century. 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