The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, warned the President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, that the Cuban regime will not undertake the reforms needed by the island's population as long as it believes it has the support of the international community.
The statement was conveyed during a phone conversation between both leaders this Tuesday, according to a Department of State statement.
The warning highlights the perception of international support that, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, the authorities in Havana have.
During the call, the head of U.S. diplomacy also urged El Salvador to join the United States and other like-minded countries to promote shared priorities at the United Nations.
Washington also indicated that both leaders reaffirmed the close bilateral relationship and discussed the need to keep El Salvador's critical infrastructure safe, including its ports, and to protect them from what the State Department referred to as "malicious foreign influences."
The conversation with Bukele introduces an element in the Secretary of State's discourse: the importance that Rubio attributes to the position of the international community regarding the Cuban Government and its possible influence on Havana's willingness to undertake reforms.
The statement on Cuba maintains the line expressed earlier by the Secretary of State.
In July, Rubio stated that Washington was willing to engage in dialogue with Havana, but he questioned the willingness for change of those governing the island.
"We want Cuba to have a better future, and we are willing to do what it takes. However, those currently in power need to decide that they want to move in that direction. Unfortunately, at this moment, they do not wish to do so," asserted the Secretary of State.
Most recently, in September, Rubio asserted that the United States was ready to assist in a transition in Cuba, although he deemed the representatives of the regime to be intransigent.
"The Cuban revolution has failed. It has been failing for over sixty years. It is a failure now. I believe there is an acknowledgment within the Cuban system itself that the revolution has failed," Rubio stated.
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