Trump wants to see freedom in Cuba: official

Washington, Nov 29: Amid uncertainty of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's Cuba policy, a transition team spokesman said Trump wants to see freedom for the Cubans and is aware of the "nuances and complexities" in Cuba, media reports said.

"To be clear, the president-elect wants to see freedom in Cuba for the Cubans and a good deal for Americans where we aren't played for fools," Trump's communications director, Jason Miller said .

He added that Trump is "aware of the nuances and complexities" in Cuba, but he will address the situation on the island once he takes office, Efe news agency reported.

Former Cuban President Fidel Castro's death at age 90 last Friday has not changed the billionaire New York real estate developer's stance on policy toward Havana, Miller said.

"Our priorities are the release of political prisoners, return of fugitives from American law, and also political and religious freedoms for all Cubans living in oppression," he said.

The White House weighed in on Trump's comments, warning that disengagement with Cuba would be difficult and carry a high cost at this point.

"It's just not as simple as one tweet would make it seem," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said. 

"There are significant diplomatic, economic (and) cultural costs that will have to be accounted for if this policy is rolled back," Earnest said. 

Earnest said reversing course on relations with Havana would have an economic impact on Cubans.

"There will be an economic impact in the US and Cuba of unwinding that policy," the White House spokesman said.