Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, posted on social media a message “to those who seek to create positive change” in Cuba, urging them to capitalise on the Trump administration’s plans. “The disappointment of failed promises, corruption, and the privileged lives of only a few; seize this opportunity to create the change you desire through a discrete [sic] partnership with the CIA,” Rubio wrote. The top US diplomat, whose parents fled Cuba before the socialist revolution, appeared to have used the word “discrete” instead of “discreet”.
Rubio’s post came moments after Donald Trump, campaigning in south Florida ahead of midterm elections, revived an idea he first floated earlier this year. Responding to a shouted question from the crowd about Cuba, Trump said: “We’ll do a little stopover. Actually, what we’re going to do with Cuba is, we’re going to come back from Iran. Those beautiful ships will pass Cuba. We’ll have one of them stop about 50 yards off the coast. They’ll raise up their hands. And then we’re going to send Marco Rubio in to finish up the deal.”
Trump and Rubio have long taken a hard line against Cuba’s socialist government. In May, they raised the possibility of US military intervention, a threat given greater weight after the administration announced criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro. Speaking in the Oval Office at the time, Trump said previous presidents had considered intervening but “it looks like I’ll be the one that does it”. Rubio separately described Cuba as a national security threat because of its ties to US adversaries.
Despite the hawkish rhetoric, Trump told reporters last month that he anticipated making a deal with Cuba and that “I don’t think we’ll need the military”. Rubio and other top aides have met with Cuban officials in recent months to explore possible improvements in relations but came away unimpressed, leading to additional sanctions.
Cuba has been gripped by an economic and energy crisis since 2020, with GDP shrinking, blackouts, food shortages and inflation affecting its 10 million residents. Large waves of protests and emigration have followed. Earlier this week, the two countries clashed at the United Nations as the Trump administration sought to build opposition for an upcoming annual vote condemning the decades-long US embargo against Havana.