Cuba Derides US ‘Desperation’ as Rubio Publicly Recruits CIA Assets on Island

HAVANA — Cuban officials ridiculed what they termed American “desperation” on Friday after Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly called on Cubans seeking political change to establish covert ties with the Central Intelligence Agency. The appeal coincided with renewed suggestions from President Donald Trump regarding potential military intervention against the communist-run island.

Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossio mocked the overture on X, writing, “Now the United States is resorting to public recruitment for the CIA. There must be a great deal of desperation or misery within the agency for it to be forced to sell its services like a tube of toothpaste.”

In a social media post, Rubio urged Cubans dissatisfied with the government to seize what he described as an opportunity for change, citing failed promises, corruption, and the privileged lives of a select few. He encouraged them to pursue that change through a “discreet partnership with the CIA.” The agency followed up with a Spanish-language video on X detailing methods for submitting information, advising potential sources to visit an official U.S. installation if safe to do so, or to use secure connections, private browsers, and disposable email accounts when making contact online.

The public recruitment drive came hours after Trump revived the prospect of military action during a rally in Florida. The president suggested U.S. warships returning from a conflict with Iran could pause off the Cuban coast before he dispatched Rubio to “finish up the deal.”

“Those beautiful ships will pass Cuba. We’ll have one of them stop about 50 yards off the coast,” Trump said. “They’ll raise up their hands. And then we’re going to send Marco Rubio in to finish up the deal.”

Trump has repeatedly floated the possibility of action against Cuba, while his administration has intensified economic and political pressure. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez dismissed the president’s remarks, warning that Cuba’s coastline would endanger any hostile incursion.

“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,” Rodríguez posted on X.

Pressure Mounts on Havana

Washington has adopted a harsher stance toward Cuba as diplomatic normalization efforts have stalled. The administration has imposed additional sanctions and maintained a de facto energy blockade implemented in January, threatening penalties against nations supplying fuel to the island of roughly 9.4 million people.

The latest escalation arrives amid legal proceedings against former President Raúl Castro, 95. Florida’s top prosecutor announced a state arrest warrant this week on murder charges linked to the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue, a group that aided Cubans fleeing to the United States. Castro was also federally indicted in connection with the incident in May. The Cuban government has rejected the federal case, with President Miguel Díaz-Canel labeling it legally baseless and accusing Washington of manufacturing a pretext for military aggression.

Trump previously cited U.S. criminal charges against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as justification for the operation that removed him; Maduro was a close Havana ally.

Although the United States and Cuba have held talks in recent months, Washington has expressed dissatisfaction with the progress. Trump has portrayed Cuba as a potential target for stronger action following the Iran conflict, while Rubio has questioned whether a diplomatic settlement is possible under the island’s current leadership.

Cuba continues to grapple with a protracted economic and energy crisis marked by power outages, shortages, inflation, and mass emigration. The decades-old U.S. embargo remains a central source of bilateral tension.

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