Rubio Urges Cubans Seeking Change to Partner With the CIA

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly encouraged Cubans who want "positive change" to cooperate with the Central Intelligence Agency, in what is the latest step in the Trump administration's widening push to remove Cuba's government from power.

In a post on X on Friday, Rubio wrote: "To those who seek to create positive change in Cuba - now is the time." He pointed to the "disappointment of failed promises, corruption, and the privileged lives of only a few," and urged readers to "seize this opportunity to create the change you desire through a discrete partnership with the CIA."

The CIA soon reposted the message, along with a similar appeal written in Spanish. A video accompanied the posts and laid out the steps for contacting the intelligence agency.

The appeal comes as Cuba struggles under a strict U.S. embargo and sanctions meant to pressure its communist government. Prices for basic goods have soared, and access to medical care has shrunk. Cubans have reportedly waited hours in bread lines, while others have queued to see a doctor.

Pressure increased further last week, when the U.S. government announced additional economic sanctions targeting Cuba's state-run bank. Washington said the institution had ties to Iran.

President Trump also addressed the subject on Friday at a campaign rally in South Florida. "We'll take care of Cuba on our way back from Iran," he said, referring to U.S. Navy warships that have been deployed near the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump went on to describe how that might unfold. "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," he said.

Cuba's government has rejected the rhetoric. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla replied on X on Friday: "We reject any threats stemming from U.S. ambitions toward Cuba."

He added that the island's coastline, though lined with beautiful beaches, is "also rugged and inhospitable to those who arrive with hostile intentions and a desire for domination."