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Rubio Urges Cubans to Work with CIA for Change
· Confirmed
In Short: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Cubans to discreetly cooperate with the CIA to bring about political change.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Cubans to discreetly cooperate with the CIA to bring about political change, according to a tweet posted on Friday. The call came shortly after President Donald Trump announced at a rally in Fort Myers, Florida, that U.S. military ships would pass through Cuban waters on their return from Iran.
Rubio's tweet read, 'To those who seek to create positive change in Cuba - now is the time.' He emphasized that the disappointment of failed promises, corruption, and the privileged lives of only a few should motivate Cubans to seize this opportunity.
The announcement follows recent sanctions against the Cuban bank BICSA, which Rubio accused of housing Iranian military and intelligence operations less than 100 miles from U.S. soil. In May, CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a surprise visit to Havana, conveying Trump's demand for 'fundamental changes' as a precondition for any dialogue.
Rubio warned in September that some members of Cuba's establishment had 'blood on their hands' and would not be acceptable interlocutors, although certain technocrats might play a role in a potential transition.
The Guardian reported that Rubio had not addressed Cuba in depth in public for several weeks, with his last comments coming in a September interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity.
Trump's comments at the rally included the possibility of military intervention in Cuba, stating that American warships could have a 'stop over' off the coast of Cuba. He also mentioned sending Rubio to the communist-run island to negotiate a deal.
Current Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has said the U.S. federal indictment against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro has 'no legal basis' and was an attempt 'to justify the folly of a military aggression against Cuba.'
Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, previously expressed frustration and disappointment with the Cuban government, claiming the Caribbean country was already a 'failed state.'
The Washington Examiner noted that Rubio’s call for Cuban citizens to partner with the CIA comes during a year of intensifying U.S. pressure on Cuba’s communist regime.
The CIA has established a secret special force focused solely on Cuba, elevated to 'Priority 1' status alongside China, Iran, and Russia, aiming to exploit divisions within the Cuban political elite.
The Guardian reported that while the Trump administration wanted to resolve differences with Cuba peacefully, Rubio voiced doubts that the U.S. could reach a diplomatic resolution with the island’s current government.
Despite the differing approaches, both Rubio and Trump are emphasizing the need for change in Cuba, with Rubio directly appealing to the Cuban people to join a 'discrete partnership' with the CIA.
What's confirmed
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Cubans seeking political change Friday to discreetly cooperate with the CIA as President Donald Trump separately floated sending Rubio to the communist-run island to negotiate a deal.
- "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."
- "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 partnership with the CIA."
- "To those who seek to create positive change in Cuba - now is the time," Rubio wrote in a post on X.
- “The truth is Cuba has already fallen. It doesn’t have a functional economy and it’s governed by people who continue to preach about some revolution that has been dead for 20 years that’s never worked,” Rubio said, without alluding to any CIA operation.
What's still developing
- Castro, 95, is wanted on murder charges connected to the 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft from “Brothers to the Rescue,” an organization assisting Cubans fleeing to the US state by sea.
- “Our coastline is full of beautiful beaches, but there are also razor-sharp limestone spikes, an inhospitable environment for those who make it to our shores with hostile purposes and lust for domination,” he posted.
- During his address to the United Nations general assembly last month, Trump said Rubio – son of Cuban immigrants, who has long taken a hard line against Cuba’s socialist leadership – was “deep into negotiations with Cuba”, saying he would “not allow a haven for foreign adversaries to threaten America on our own doorstep”.
- Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that previous US presidents had considered intervening in Cuba for decades but that “it looks like I’ll be the one that does it”.
- “Those around you may not want to hear the truth. But we do. You are not powerless,” a 2024 CIA recruitment video in Russia translated by Reuters said.
- The president claimed Rubio would be sent in to finish an agreement with Cuba, indicating a peaceful resolution.
- On October 5, Rubio had already warned that Cuban leaders would need to alter their course or "learn the hard way," a signal now complemented by this direct appeal to the Cuban people.