The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, issued a new warning on Monday to those in charge of Cuba, asserting that they are mistaken if they believe they can wait for the end of Donald Trump's administration without making political and economic changes on the island.
Rubio made the statements during an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, after the host directly asked him if Cuba was "about to fall."
The truth is that Cuba has already fallen. It does not have a functional economy and is governed by people who continue to preach about a revolution that has been dead for 20 years," Rubio responded. In the same intervention, he referred to Cuba as "a failed state in every sense of the word."
The head of U.S. diplomacy stated that, although Cuban authorities still have the ability to exercise control and repression, in his opinion, the country lacks a functional government and economy. He also attributed much of the economic problems to corruption and the control of profitable sectors by the Armed Forces and the Communist Party.
Rubio also stated that Washington hopes Cuba "chooses a different path" and raised the possibility that individuals within the power structures might recognize the seriousness of the situation and accept changes.
The official made it clear that Trump's preference, as he explained, continues to be a diplomatic solution that leads to what he termed a “positive irreversible change”, accompanied by economic and political freedoms.
"You cannot have economic freedom in Cuba if you do not first have political freedom. You must have both, at least simultaneously. This will require a transition period," he stated.
It was then that he directed his warning to those who, according to him, continue to defend the Cuban political system and believe they can wait until the current U.S. government comes to an end.
“Unfortunately, too many of the people who remain there chanting revolutionary slogans still believe that they can wait for this administration to end without making changes or doing anything. They are mistaken and will learn their lesson the hard way if they do not correct course,” said Rubio.
The statements continue a line of pressure that the Secretary of State has maintained over the past few days. On September 23, he stated that the Cuban authorities have "an opportunity to change course" and maintained that any sustainable transformation would require political and economic freedoms.
On that same day, he warned that “no one is going to invest in Cuba under its current model of government”, pointing out the lack of legal guarantees and stability for potential investors.
Rubio's warning comes after Trump spoke on Saturday about the possibility of military action in Cuba. The president stated that he preferred to reach an agreement and did not believe it was necessary to resort to military means, although he described the situation on the island as a serious economic failure.
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