US Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a stark warning to Cuba on Thursday, stating that the United States is determined to overhaul the island's communist system. Speaking in Miami, Rubio, a Cuban-American who has long opposed Havana's government, described Cuba as a 'failed state' grappling with a deep economic crisis.
'Their economic system doesn't work. It's broken, and you can't fix it with the current political system that's in place,' Rubio told reporters. 'What they've gotten used to all these years is just buying time and waiting us out. They're not going to be able to wait us out or buy time. We're very serious. We're very focused.'
Rubio emphasized that the US preference remains a diplomatic solution but warned that President Donald Trump has other options to address perceived threats. He pointed to the presence of Russian and Chinese weapons and intelligence on the island as evidence that 'Cuba has always posed a national security threat to the United States.'
Indictment of Raúl Castro and Regional Tensions
The remarks come days after a US indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro, the younger brother of Fidel Castro, for his role in the 1996 downing of two civilian planes manned by anti-Castro pilots. The charges include murder, conspiracy to kill Americans, and destruction of aircraft. Cuban authorities have called the indictment 'despicable' and urged citizens to protest outside the US embassy in Havana.
Fabian Fernandez, a 30-year-old accountant in Havana, told AFP: 'This isn't really an accusation, something from more than 30 years ago, but rather a public attack on a public figure. It's a matter of politics and public image.'
The indictment echoes Trump's earlier use of a US domestic case against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, which led to a US military operation in January that deposed Maduro. Christopher Sabatini, senior fellow for Latin America at Chatham House, noted: 'The idea is to say, we can do to you what we did to Nicolás Maduro.' He added that while Cuba's military would likely defend the country, it is unclear whether the population would support such a move.
The US military has deployed the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and escort warships to the Caribbean, though Trump denied the move was intended to intimidate Cuba.
Aid and Economic Crisis
Rubio also revealed that Cuba has tentatively accepted a US offer of $100 million (€86 million) in aid in exchange for reforms. However, he expressed uncertainty about whether Washington would accept Havana's terms, as the US insists on bypassing the military-backed enterprises that dominate the island's economy.
The economic crisis in Cuba has deepened since the Maduro operation ended free oil shipments from Venezuela, which had supplied nearly half of Cuba's needs. Cubans now face power outages of up to 20 hours a day, water shortages, runaway inflation, and piles of uncollected trash in Havana's streets. Pedro Leal, a 65-year-old retiree, accused Washington of harming ordinary Cubans: 'What the US government is doing here now, aside from the energy blockade preventing us from bringing in fuel, honestly, it's criminal.'
China and Russia have criticized Trump's steps on Cuba. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Washington 'should stop brandishing the sanctions stick and the judicial stick against Cuba and stop threatening force at every turn.'
For European observers, the standoff highlights the broader geopolitical contest in the Caribbean, where US pressure on Cuba intersects with Russian and Chinese influence. The situation also raises questions about the EU's stance, as Brussels has maintained a policy of critical engagement with Havana, focusing on human rights and economic reforms.
