Rubio and Trump Signal Shift in Cuba Policy After Warships Remark

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a direct call for political change in Cuba on Friday, stating that the moment for action has arrived. His message followed closely after President Donald Trump suggested American warships could pause near the Cuban coast on their return from the Iran war.

Trump made the naval proposal at a rally for candidates in south Florida. He answered a question from the crowd by describing ships stopping approximately 50 yards off the shore. He said the sailors would raise their hands before he sent Rubio to complete a deal. The event took place days before midterm elections where voters expressed concern over rising prices for gas and groceries caused by the Iran conflict.

In a social media post, Rubio addressed those seeking positive change. He cited failed promises and corruption as drivers of public discontent. He encouraged Cubans to create their desired outcomes through a discrete partnership with the CIA. Rubio, whose parents emigrated before the socialist revolution, used the word discrete, which means separate, though the context implies he intended discreet, meaning private.

Havana reacted with criticism on Friday. Deputy foreign minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio posted on X that the US was resorting to public recruitment for the CIA. He claimed the agency must be desperate to sell its services like a tube of toothpaste.

The administration has maintained an aggressive posture toward the island. Trump previously suggested Cuba would be the next target for intervention after the Iran war ends. In May, he and Rubio raised the prospect of military action, a threat that gained weight after the US announced criminal charges against former leader Raul Castro. Trump told reporters that earlier presidents had considered intervening for decades but that it looked like he would be the one to do it.

Rubio had not spoken in depth about Cuba for several weeks. In a Fox News interview on September 29, he told Sean Hannity that Cuba has already fallen. He described the country as lacking a functional economy and being led by people preaching a dead revolution. He stated the US would never allow Cuba to become a base of operations against American interests.

Diplomatic efforts have been inconsistent. Rubio and other senior aides met with Cuban officials recently to explore better relations, but the US side left unimpressed and imposed more sanctions. Trump told reporters last month that he expected a deal and did not think military force would be needed. However, the two governments clashed at the UN this week as Washington sought to build opposition to a vote condemning the US economic embargo. Cuba has faced an economic and energy crisis since 2020, with its GDP shrinking and 10 million residents enduring blackouts and food shortages.