The Cuban regime's Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez, has launched an attack on U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, accusing him of pushing a "personal and corrupt" agenda that undermines President Donald Trump's supposed peace mandate. Rodríguez blames Rubio for the recent escalations between Washington and the Caribbean.
In a Tuesday interview with The Associated Press, Rodríguez claimed Rubio promotes "extremist" policies that diverge from the public stance of the U.S. president. He noted that upon Trump's return to the White House, Havana saw a chance to change the dynamic with Washington, but Rubio has spearheaded a "maximum pressure" campaign against the island.
"The current Secretary of State was not born in Cuba, has never visited Cuba, and knows nothing about the country," Rodríguez told AP. He also accused the "bipolar" State Department of escalating tensions with Venezuela by deploying U.S. ships off its coast and attacking vessels labeled as drug boats. Furthermore, he warned that speculation about a potential U.S. attempt to overthrow Nicolás Maduro could have "unpredictable and catastrophic" consequences.
U.S.-Cuba Relations Amid Political Tensions
Despite the political friction, Rodríguez confirmed that channels for cooperation on migration and counter-terrorism with Washington remain open. He reiterated Cuba's willingness to initiate a "serious and responsible" dialogue with the current U.S. administration.
In contrast, the Secretary of State has maintained that the U.S. will continue to champion human rights and freedoms in Cuba, stating that no "illegitimate and dictatorial" regime is welcome in the hemisphere. For Havana's dictatorship, however, Rubio's rhetoric and measures "sacrifice" U.S. national interests and normalize the use or threat of force as a daily tool.
The Cuban Government has been cautious in its dealings with Trump—avoiding direct criticism—while continuing to blame the embargo for power outages, shortages, and inflation. Meanwhile, Rodríguez persists in accusing Marco Rubio of being the main advocate for the mass deportations of Cubans from the United States.
According to Rodríguez, Rubio orchestrates a persecution against Cuban migrants, despite many having entered legally and awaiting eligibility under the Cuban Adjustment Act.
Understanding U.S.-Cuba Political Dynamics
What is the "maximum pressure" campaign mentioned by Bruno Rodríguez?
The "maximum pressure" campaign refers to intensified efforts led by Marco Rubio and the U.S. administration to apply economic and diplomatic pressure on Cuba to change its policies and governance.
How has the Cuban government responded to U.S. policies under Trump?
The Cuban government has maintained a cautious approach, avoiding direct criticism of Trump while attributing domestic issues like power outages and inflation to the U.S. embargo.
What are the implications of U.S. actions in Venezuela according to Cuba?
Cuba warns that U.S. actions in Venezuela, such as the deployment of ships and potential attempts to overthrow Nicolás Maduro, could lead to unpredictable and catastrophic consequences in the region.