Pope Leo XIV has once again publicly called out his homeland for its hostile global imprint under the Trump administration.
The American pope, 70, born Robert Francis Provost in Chicago, called for peace in Cuba Sunday, a plea that comes as Trump has sharpened his focus on the communist Caribbean nation.
“I have received the greatly troubling news regarding an increase in tensions between Cuba and the United States of America, two neighboring countries,” the pope wrote on X on Sunday.
His post continued: “I echo the message of the Cuban bishops, inviting all responsible parties to promote a sincere and effective dialogue, in order to avoid violence and every action that could increase the suffering of the dear Cuban people.”
The pontiff’s missive came after weeks of simmering tensions with Cuba, culminating in reports of a secret takeover plan.
Late last month, MAGA insiders claimed that the administration aims to topple the current Cuban regime by the end of 2026, and has been meeting with exiles within the U.S. to form a plot.
Sources told The Wall Street Journal that Trump officials were identifying Cuban politicians and governmental figures who could be persuaded to stage a coup against Miguel Díaz-Canel, who became president of the country in 2019.
“Cuba’s rulers are incompetent Marxists who have destroyed their country, and they have had a major setback with the Maduro regime that they are responsible for propping up,” one White House insider said, ominously adding that Cuba should “make a deal before it’s too late.”
Unfortunately for Trump and his interventionist staffers, it seems that Díaz-Canel has no interest in peacefully accepting Marco Rubio as his country’s new overlord.
On January 11, the Cuban president wrote on X: “Cuba is a free, independent, and sovereign nation. No one dictates what we do. Cuba does not aggress; it is aggressed upon by the United States for 66 years, and it does not threaten; it prepares, ready to defend the Homeland to the last drop of blood.”
This isn’t the first time Pope Leo has spoken out against the Trump administration. After the Jan. 3 kidnapping of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro—which is said to be functioning as a blueprint for Trump’s Cuba plans—the pope condemned a growing “zeal for war” among political leaders, later adding his “deep concern” for the Venezuelan people.
Leo has also been vocal in his views of immigration policy, saying in October: “Someone who says ‘I’m against abortion’ but is in favor of the death penalty is not really pro-life. Someone who says ‘I’m against abortion, but I’m in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants who are in the United States,’ I don’t know if that’s pro-life.”
