Cuba Told to Contact CIA

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Cubans on social media that the window for political change is open now.

His post appeared shortly after President Donald Trump discussed a naval presence during a campaign rally in South Florida on Friday.

Rubio addressed those seeking positive change, citing corruption and the privileged lifestyles of a few.

He urged Cubans to work through a discrete partnership with the Central Intelligence Agency.

Rubio likely meant the word discreet, indicating a private arrangement.

Trump first raised the idea of US warships intervening in Cuba earlier this year.

He had not mentioned the plan in recent months until a question from the crowd prompted the response.

The rally took place days before the midterm elections.

Voters at the event expressed concern about how the war on Iran has affected prices for gas and groceries.

Trump described a scenario where ships return from Iran and stop about 50 yards off the Cuban coast.

He said the sailors would raise their hands and that Rubio would then finish a deal.

Cuban deputy foreign minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio mocked the comments on X on Friday. He said the US was resorting to public recruitment for the CIA. He added that the agency must be desperate to sell its services like a tube of toothpaste. Trump and Rubio have both taken aggressive stances on the island. Trump previously suggested Cuba would be next for intervention after the Iran war winds down. He told reporters in the Oval Office that it looks like he will be the one to do it. Rubio said Cuba remains a national security threat due to ties to US adversaries. He stated the administration wants a peaceful resolution but doubted the current government would agree. Rubio had not addressed Cuba in depth publicly for several weeks. In a September 29 interview with Sean Hannity, he said Cuba has already fallen. He described a country with a non-functional economy and a dead revolution. He did not mention a CIA operation in that interview. Diplomacy between the two nations has been uneven. Rubio and other senior aides met Cuban officials in recent months to explore better relations. The US side came away unimpressed, and more sanctions followed. In his speech to the UN general assembly last month, Trump said Rubio was deep into negotiations. Days later, he told reporters he expected the two countries to make a deal and did not think the military would be needed. Earlier this week, the two governments clashed at the UN. Washington sought to build opposition to an upcoming annual vote condemning the US economic embargo. Cuba has been in an economic and energy crisis since 2020. Its gross domestic product has shrunk. Its 10 million residents have faced blackouts, food shortages, and inflation. Waves of protests have occurred. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans have emigrated, many to the United States.