The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, reiterated this Wednesday in an interview with Fox News that it is impossible to improve the Cuban economy without transforming the island's government system.
The statements were shared by the official account of the Department of State and are framed within a position that Rubio has consistently maintained over the past few weeks, amidst the most severe crisis Cuba has faced since the Special Period of the 1990s.
The situation in Cuba is truly tragic. Cuba has an economic model that would not work anywhere else in the world. They do not have an economic model. There is literally no economy. You can't fix their economy without changing their system of government, stated Rubio.
The Secretary of State has insisted that Washington has no incentives to yield to Havana, reminding that we do not need anything from Cuba; Cuba needs us, a phrase that encapsulates the negotiating stance of the U.S. administration.
Rubio has also questioned the viability of the Cuban economic model in front of potential investors, asking Who is going to invest billions in a communist country?, pointing out that without institutional guarantees, no serious capital would consider entering the island.
In previous statements, the official made it clear that any real solution for Cuba involves changing the people in charge, the system that governs the country, and the economic model, dismissing cosmetic reforms as a valid solution.
The economic context of the island further worsens the outlook. A recent analysis forecasts a contraction of the Cuban GDP by 7.2% in 2026, which would place Cuba in one of its worst economic years in decades.
Meanwhile, the regime has explored ways to attract capital, including a opening for investments from Cuban-Americans and a model inspired by China, proposals that Washington has rejected as insufficient without a significant political change.
Rubio concluded his statements with a message hinting at upcoming developments, assuring that we will have more news on this matter quite soon, referring to the political situation and the future of the Cuban government.
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