Rubio tells Cubans 'now is the time' to act for political change
Secretary of state Marco Rubio urged Cubans seeking political change to act, saying "now is the time" in a social media post made moments after Donald Trump's Friday rally remarks in south Florida about possible US intervention in Cuba.
Rubio tells Cubans 'now is the time' to act for political change
Rubio's post to Cubans
In the post, addressed "to those who seek to create positive change", Rubio called on Cubans to seize the moment and work with the CIA to bring about the political change they want.
seize this opportunity to create the change you desire through a discrete [sic] partnership with the CIA
The secretary of state, whose parents left Cuba before the socialist revolution, appeared to mistakenly use "discrete", which means separate, rather than "discreet".
Trump's rally remarks
The post came moments after Trump told a Friday rally in south Florida that US warships could intervene in Cuba on their way back from the Iran war. He first floated the idea earlier this year, had not mentioned it in recent months, and revived it while answering a shouted question from the crowd. He was campaigning days before midterm elections in which voters have expressed concern about the impact the US war on Iran has had on prices of goods from gas to groceries.
Trump sketched out how such an intervention would work: a ship would stop about 50 yards off the Cuban coast, Cubans would raise their hands, and Rubio would "finish up the deal". He has previously suggested Cuba would "be next" for intervention abroad once the Iran war winds down - a war he has long forecast but which has not yet happened.
Background to the threats
The threats toward Havana have built over months:
- In May, Trump and Rubio raised the specter of US military intervention in Cuba, a threat that gained weight after criminal charges were announced against Raúl Castro.
- In the Oval Office, Trump told reporters previous presidents had considered intervening for decades but "it looks like I'll be the one that does it".
- Rubio told reporters Cuba had been a national security threat for years because of its ties to US adversaries, and that Trump was intent on addressing it.
- He said the administration wanted to resolve differences peacefully but voiced doubts that the US could reach a diplomatic resolution with the island's current government.
Recent diplomacy
Rubio's previous public comments on Cuba came in a 29 September interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, in which he said "Cuba has already fallen", arguing the island lacks a functional economy and is governed by people preaching a revolution dead for 20 years. "We're never going to allow Cuba to become a base of operation against American interests", he added.
Behind the rhetoric, Rubio and other top Trump aides met Cuban officials in recent months to explore improved relations, but the US side came away unimpressed and imposed even more sanctions on the Cuban government.
At last month's UN general assembly address, Trump said Rubio was "deep into negotiations with Cuba" and would "not allow a haven for foreign adversaries to threaten America on our own doorstep". Days later, he told reporters the two countries "will make a deal", adding: "I don't think we'll need the military. Cuba is failing very badly."
Cuba's crisis
Cuba has struggled since 2020 with an economic and energy crisis. Its gross domestic product has shrunk, and its 10 million residents have endured blackouts, food shortages and inflation. Waves of protests have broken out, and hundreds of thousands of Cubans have immigrated, many to the United States.
Earlier this week, the two countries clashed at the UN as the Trump administration sought once again to build opposition to an upcoming annual vote condemning Washington's decades-long economic embargo against Havana.
