Trump’s public remarks about “taking over” Cuba, paired with expanded sanctions and pressure from South Florida’s Cuban American community, signal a more coercive U.S. posture toward Havana while leaving unresolved whether Washington is pursuing negotiated reforms, regime change, or military-backed leverage.

The arrest of Mahmoud Khalil has ignited a wave of mass protests, escalating tensions between activists and law enforcement, with growing fears of further unrest and potential violence.