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The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, believes that weakening Nicolás Maduro's government in Venezuela could be the decisive blow against the Cuban communist regime, according to an extensive report from The New York Times.
Rubio, the son of Cuban emigrants who settled in Florida before the 1959 revolution, has made the Caracas–Havana relationship the central focus of his policy towards Latin America.
His theory, presented both publicly and privately, argues that cutting Venezuela's economic and intelligence support to Cuba would lead to a political collapse on the island.
The New York Times describes Rubio as one of the main strategists for President Donald Trump in the campaign of military and economic pressure against the Maduro regime.
Although the stated goal is to "restore Venezuelan democracy," government sources acknowledge that the Republican politician also aims to weaken Castroism.
“His theory of change involves cutting all support to Cuba. Once Venezuela falls, Cuba will follow,” stated Juan González, former advisor to President Joe Biden on Latin America, in an interview with the newspaper.
In previous interviews, Rubio has been clear: "Anything that is bad for a communist dictatorship is something I support."
According to former advisers cited by the newspaper, the senator from Florida, who has built his career on growing support from the Cuban exiled community, frequently spoke in the Senate and with diplomats about the need to isolate the regime in Havana and to break its alliance with Caracas.
The failed military uprising of 2019 in Venezuela reinforced his suspicions. Intelligence reports from the United States indicated that Cuban agents alerted Nicolás Maduro to the attempt at uprising, allowing the Venezuelan dictator to crush it swiftly.
"The only blow is the one carried out by Cuba in support of the dictator Maduro," Rubio wrote on social media at the time.
In recent months, Washington has intensified its military operations in the Caribbean and increased sanctions on officials from both countries.
Trump himself has demanded over the phone that Maduro step down, while the White House ordered the seizure of a ship carrying Venezuelan oil destined for Cuba.
For Rubio and his Republican allies, including Senator Lindsey Graham, these measures are part of a long-term strategy: “If Maduro falls, we can focus on Cuba, one of the most oppressive regimes in our backyard,” Graham wrote on Friday on X.
Nevertheless, experts warn that the Cuban regime has survived decades of sanctions and isolation.
Supported by Russia and China, the government of Miguel Díaz-Canel and Raúl Castro continues to resist, although increasingly with fewer resources and growing social discontent within the island.
While the Trump administration intensifies its efforts in Venezuela, Rubio remains focused on his goal: to economically suffocate Havana in order to bring about the collapse of Castroism.
His message is clear and direct: without Maduro, Cuba will be left without oxygen, he indicates.
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