The Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded decisively this Wednesday to Cuban-American Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar during a hearing in Congress: The United States will not allow the Castro regime to benefit from American resources, and the future of Cuba cannot be built upon the same system that has oppressed the Cuban people for nearly seven decades.
Salazar pressed Rubio on whether the transition model applied in Venezuela could be replicated in Cuba, asking if it was possible to find a "Del C number two" Cuban—referring to the strategy of negotiating with figures from Maduro's regime to facilitate a political change.
Rubio was straightforward: "We will not allow them to take advantage of the game they have been playing, in which they steal money from the Cuban people for the benefit of that conglomerate at the expense of the people of Cuba."
The Secretary of State confirmed that Washington has consistently upheld diplomatic commitments with Havana for multiple reasons over time, and revealed that Southern Command recently visited the border fence in Guantánamo.
Regarding the possibility of a negotiated transition, Rubio noted that there are technocrats within the Cuban apparatus with whom one could collaborate, but he admitted he couldn't identify a single trustworthy individual to lead that process: "I wouldn't say we've identified a specific person who can play that role. I believe there are clearly people within the technocratic sphere of the government who could play a role in all of this."
Rubio mentioned the transition models of the Czech Republic and Poland, which preserved certain institutions to ensure stability, though he acknowledged that Cuba lacks comparable institutional structures.
The secretary also reiterated the offer of 100 million dollars in humanitarian aid —food and medicine— conditioned on its distribution through the Catholic Church or organizations like Samaritan's Purse. “Now they say they have accepted it, but they are creating obstacles,” Rubio stated, emphasizing that the regime refuses to allow independent state channels to distribute the assistance.
Salazar also inquired whether Washington was sending messages to the younger generation within the power apparatus, mentioning "El Cangrejo" —Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, a colonel in the MININT and the grandson of Raúl Castro, who is around 41 years old— as a possible interlocutor.
Rubio responded that there are individuals within the apparatus who understand that what they have is not sustainable, although he acknowledged that many lack the sufficient power to make decisions.
The exchange took place on the same day that Raúl Castro turned 95, while Havana woke up to pots and pans being banged and protests against power outages lasting up to 22 hours daily, in contrast to the official events of the regime.
The context of the hearing is the maximum pressure policy that the Trump administration maintains on Cuba.
In May, the Executive Order 14404 imposed sanctions on GAESA, the military conglomerate that controls about 70% of the Cuban economy and manages around 18 billion dollars in assets, blocking its property under U.S. jurisdiction.
Salazar concluded the exchange with a statement that captures the sentiment of the Cuban community in exile: “In Miami, we have known for decades: there can be no democratic future for Cuba that leaves the Castro family in power. The Cuban people deserve freedom, democracy, and the opportunity to choose their own future.”
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