The Secretary of State Marco Rubio admitted this Thursday that the diplomatic contacts between Washington and Havana have not produced real results, stating to the press that "honestly, I don't see much progress" in the negotiations with the Cuban regime.
Rubio confirmed that the American ambassador recently met with Cuban officials, that the CIA director visited the island a few weeks ago, and that there are constant communications from the State Department, but he emphasized that none of this has led to concrete changes.
"At the end of the day, they have to make a decision. Their system doesn't work. Their economic system doesn't work. It's broken and can't be fixed with the current political system. They simply don't understand how to do it. It's a failed state," the Secretary of State stated.
Rubio was categorical in dismissing the economic reforms announced by the regime as having real substance: "The things they announce in economic matters are cosmetic, not real. Because for years they have gotten used to buying time and waiting for us to step back. But Cuba will not be able to keep buying time or wait for us to give in."
The head of U.S. diplomacy also pointed directly at GAESA, the military-business conglomerate of the Cuban Armed Forces, which he attributed 18 billion dollars in assets.
"Not a single cent goes to the state budget or to help the Cuban people," he denounced, pointing out that this is the reason why the island's electrical infrastructure has been collapsing for years, even when it was receiving Venezuelan oil for free.
Regarding the possibility of a negotiated agreement, Rubio was candid but left the door slightly open: “The president's preference is always for a negotiated and peaceful agreement. That remains our preference. But with Cuba, to be honest, the likelihood of that happening with those currently in power is not high. If their attitude changes, we will be here.”
The Secretary of State rejected the notion that Washington's policy towards Cuba constitutes interference or nation-building from outside. "We are facing something that is directly related to the national security of the United States. Cuba is 90 miles from our shores," he argued, warning that a systemic collapse on the island would generate a migration crisis and violence that would directly impact the United States.
These statements come one day after Rubio released a video in Spanish addressed to the Cuban people on the occasion of May 20, in which he offered a "new relationship" with Cuba and announced 100 million dollars in humanitarian aid to be distributed through the Catholic Church, excluding the state apparatus. In that message, Rubio stated that "Cuba is not controlled by any revolution; Cuba is controlled by GAESA."
In the same press conference, Rubio was questioned about the formal charges brought by a federal grand jury from southern Florida against Raúl Castro, related to the downing of two civilian aircraft from Brothers to the Rescue on February 24, 1996, in which four people died. Rubio declined to disclose specific plans, but he was direct: “At this point, he becomes a fugitive from U.S. justice. And if there is any announcement, we will probably tell you afterward, not before.”
"The future of Cuba belongs to the Cuban people, in terms of how they want to be governed and what system they desire. But the threat to national security is something we are going to focus on 100%, because that relates to the United States," concluded Rubio.
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