The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, warned on Wednesday that Washington is prepared to contribute to a transition in Cuba, but those who speak on behalf of the Cuban government "seem quite obstinate" publicly, raising doubts about the regime's genuine willingness for change.
The statements were made in New York, on the sidelines of the 81st General Assembly of the UN, and shared by the State Department on its social media.
"The Cuban revolution has failed. It has failed for more than sixty years. It is a failure now. I believe there is recognition within the Cuban system itself that the revolution has failed," Rubio stated to the press.
The head of U.S. diplomacy indicated that the regime has an opportunity before it that it should not miss: "They have an opportunity to make changes. They have an opportunity to begin placing their country on an irreversible path towards progress and a better future. And that undoubtedly involves both political freedom and economic freedom."
However, Rubio was clear about the limits of this willingness to engage in dialogue. According to a NewsForce video from the press conference, the Secretary of State warned that there are figures within the Cuban apparatus "with whom we can never work because their hands are stained with blood," although he acknowledged that there are other people in the regime with whom collaboration would be possible if they are willing to guide the country towards political and economic freedom.
Rubio was also adamant about the economic prospects of the island under the current model: “No one is going to invest in Cuba under its current government model. They simply won’t do it.” He argued that the lack of legal certainty for investors is the central obstacle, illustrating it with a direct example: “Why would I invest 10 million dollars in Cuba if in two years they can unilaterally decide to change the rules, take my investment, keep the money, and not give me anything back?”
About the credibility of the regime to fulfill commitments, it was equally emphatic: "There is simply not enough legitimacy or credibility to believe that this regime will meet those conditions, because it has never done so in the past."
Rubio also dismissed the possibility of any transformation being immediate: "More than sixty years of mismanagement, corruption, and incompetence cannot be reversed in six months," he noted, although he insisted that Washington will remain "involved in this matter" and open to measures that initiate the process of change.
In response to a question about the possibility of military actions, the Secretary of State refrained from speculation, but issued a general warning: if there is a threat to the national security of the United States, "the president has both the power and the obligation to address it."
Rubio's statements come a day after President Donald Trump referred to Cuba as a "totally failed state" at the General Assembly and predicted that the regime would "fall," which led to the Cuban delegation leaving the room in protest.
The chancellor Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla responded by labeling Trump's words as “falsehoods and slanders” and denied that there were any formal negotiations, agreements, or roadmaps between Washington and Havana, thus contradicting Trump's claims that Rubio was “deeply involved” in conversations with the Cuban government.
Throughout 2026, the Trump administration has accumulated sanctions against more than 40 entities and at least 38 individuals linked to the Cuban military, energy, and financial apparatus. The most recent round, announced on September 17, targeted eight entities and three individuals from the military and nickel sectors.
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