The Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated this Wednesday that, in his personal opinion, it is impossible to change the economic direction of Cuba while the current leaders remain in power.
However, he added a phrase that opens a crack in the relations between Havana and Washington: “we need to give it a chance”. He clarified that he does not believe that change in Cuba will occur spontaneously.
The statements were made in an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News, and were shared by the official account of the Department of State.
"You cannot change the economic course of Cuba as long as the people currently in power remain in office. That is what will have to change, because these individuals have proven to be incapable," Rubio said.
The complete sentence reveals an internal tension in Washington's message: "I hope I'm wrong. Well, we should give it a chance, but I don't think it's going to happen. I don't believe we can change Cuba's direct course while these people are in charge of that regime."
Rubio's words come two days after President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Cuba "is asking for help" and that "we're going to talk," just before traveling to China.
Trump described Cuba as a "failed state" that “is only going in one direction: downward”.
This sequence —maximum pressure combined with conditional negotiation signals— defines the dual strategy of the administration. Since January 2026, Trump has signed two executive orders and more than 240 sanctions have been imposed against the Cuban regime.
On May 7, Rubio announced sanctions against GAESA, the military conglomerate that controls between 40% and 70% of the Cuban formal economy, with estimated illicit assets ranging from 18 to 20 billion dollars abroad.
The U.S. set June 5 as the deadline for foreign companies to close operations with sanctioned Cuban entities.
In parallel, it has intercepted at least seven tankers in international waters, reducing Cuba's fuel imports by between 80% and 90%. The island is experiencing blackouts of more than 20 hours daily in over 55% of its territory.
Negotiation process between both governments: discreet but real
In March, Díaz-Canel publicly confirmed that Cuba was negotiating with Washington regarding the energy blockade.
In April, a U.S. delegation traveled to Havana on the first official flight since 2016, although the meetings failed due to Cuba's rejection of the imposed conditions.
Rubio has been consistent in his stance from the beginning: he demands a change in leadership, verifiable release of political prisoners, access for independent media, and an end to the persecution of dissenters.
The question raised by the statement this Wednesday is whether the phrase «we need to give it a chance» is a genuine sign of openness or merely diplomatic rhetoric before escalating pressure.
The response could arrive before June 5, the deadline that Washington set for the world to sever economic ties with the regime.
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