The Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated this Tuesday, in an interview with the Hannity program on Fox News, that Cuba needs two fundamental things: economic reform and political reform, and he anticipated that there will be news regarding the situation on the island "very soon."
The State Department released a segment of the interview this Wednesday featuring a direct quote from Rubio: "Cuba needs two things: economic reform and political reform. You can't fix its economy without changing its system of government."
In the same interview, Rubio went further by describing the internal situation of the regime: "There is literally no economy in Cuba. And unfortunately, the people in charge of the government apparatus are incompetent and unable to solve these problems."
The statement is not isolated. Last Monday, before journalists at the State Department, Rubio summarized Washington's position with a powerful phrase: "Cuba's economy needs to change, and its economy cannot change unless its system of government changes. It's that simple."
That same day, in an interview with Al Jazeera, he added: "We don't need anything from Cuba. It is Cuba that needs us. Its economic system is completely dysfunctional."
Last Friday, Rubio had been even more explicit about what Washington demands: "We need to change the people in charge, the system that governs the country and the economic model."
On that same day, President Donald Trump issued a warning that resonated throughout the region: "Cuba is next, but act as if I didn't say that". Three days later, on Monday, Trump referred to the island again: "It will fail in no time, and we will be there".
These statements are part of an ongoing diplomatic offensive. The Chargé d'Affaires of the United States in Havana, Mike Hammer, had predicted a historic change in Cuba during 2026, and Republican Senator Ted Cruz bet last Saturday that the changes would arrive before September, citing the strength of the Trump administration following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
The economic collapse of Cuba is intensifying that pressure. Following the arrest of Maduro by U.S. forces on January 3, 2026, the supply of Venezuelan oil —between 26,000 and 35,000 barrels per day— was drastically cut, exacerbating blackouts lasting up to 20-25 consecutive hours.
The Economist Intelligence Unit projects a contraction of the Cuban GDP of 7.2% in 2026, which would result in a decline of 23% since 2019.
The economist Mauricio de Miranda Parrondo described that figure as "a brutality in seven years." 80% of Cubans believe that the current crisis is worse than the Special Period of the 90s.
The regime of Díaz-Canel confirmed on March 13 that it is holding talks with representatives of the Trump administration and released 51 political prisoners as a negotiating gesture, out of a total of 1,214 documented by Prisoners Defenders.
However, it rejects negotiating its political system and proposes a mixed model inspired by China and Vietnam, a formula that Washington flatly dismisses.
Rubio concluded his appearance on Fox News with a warning that suggests imminent developments: "You know, there will be more news on that pretty soon. We are working on it as well."
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