The Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged before Congress that there are technocrats within the Cuban government apparatus with whom Washington could work towards a political transition, although he cautioned that he cannot identify a trustworthy individual to lead that process.
The exchange took place on Wednesday during a hearing where Cuban-American congresswoman María Elvira Salazar asked Rubio whether the negotiation model applied in Venezuela could be replicated in Cuba.
The Secretary of State was straightforward: "I think there are certain technocrats with whom it would be possible to work. I believe it becomes more difficult the higher you go up in the hierarchy, due to the ideological baggage that some of them carry."
At the same time, the head of U.S. diplomacy set clear limits on that openness.
"I wouldn't say that we have identified a specific person who can take on that role. If you ask me whether there is currently a single person we would trust to lead that transition from start to finish, I cannot provide you with that name at this time."
Salazar asked if Washington was sending messages to the younger generation of the power core, mentioning "The Crab"—Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, a colonel in MININT and grandson of Raúl Castro, who is around 41 years old—as a possible generational interlocutor.
Rubio responded that there are individuals within the apparatus who understand the unsustainability of the system, but he acknowledged their limitations.
"Even if they have power, they may not know how to do it or may not have enough authority, because much of it requires building internal consensus," he warned.
Regarding the transition model, Rubio referenced the cases of Poland and the Czech Republic, which preserved certain institutions to ensure stability, although he acknowledged that Cuba lacks comparable institutional structures.
He also reiterated that the United States is open to a negotiated solution for the transition.
"I believe that the United States is open to a negotiated solution that places Cuba on a path toward democracy, prosperity, freedom, and normalcy. We would be open to that and would work with anyone willing to do so."
Rubio confirmed that Washington maintains diplomatic contacts with Havana consistently and recalled that the Southern Command recently visited the perimeter line of Guantanamo.
Regarding humanitarian aid, he pointed out that the regime claims to have accepted the 100 million dollars offered to distribute food and medicine, but he assured that the Cuban authorities have created obstacles when it comes to channeling that aid through the Catholic Church or organizations like Samaritan's Purse.
"Now they say she has been accepted, but they are creating obstacles," Rubio stated.
The hearing took place on the same day that Raúl Castro turned 95, while Havana woke up to pots and pans and protests against power outages of up to 22 hours daily.
At the conclusion of the exchange, María Elvira Salazar summarized the position of the Cuban-American community regarding the transition in Cuba.
"In Miami, we have known this for decades. There cannot be a democratic future for Cuba that allows the Castro family to remain in power. The Cuban people deserve freedom, democracy, and the opportunity to choose their own future."
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