Rubio Asks Cuban Reformers to Contact CIA Directly

Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X Friday that Cubans seeking change should form a discreet partnership with the Central Intelligence Agency. "To those who seek to create positive change in Cuba - now is the time," Rubio wrote, citing failed promises, corruption and privileged lives of a few. He urged readers to "seize this opportunity to create the change you desire through a discrete partnership with the CIA."

The CIA reposted the message with a similar appeal in Spanish, accompanied by a video that laid out steps for contacting the agency. The outreach comes as the U.S. embargo and sanctions pressure Cuba's communist government. Prices for basic goods have risen while access to medical care has shrunk, with Cubans reportedly waiting hours in bread lines and queues to see doctors.

Washington announced additional economic sanctions last week against Cuba's state-run bank, saying the institution had ties to Iran. President Trump addressed the topic 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 deployed near the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump described a possible sequence of events. "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 rejected the rhetoric. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla replied on X 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."