The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, published a message this Friday on his official X account that marks a turning point in Washington's pressure on Havana: a public and explicit invitation to those who wish to change Cuba to collaborate discreetly with the Central Intelligence Agency.
«For those seeking to create positive change in Cuba: now is the time. The disappointment over unfulfilled promises, corruption, and the privileged lives of a few; seize this opportunity to bring about the change you desire through a discreet collaboration with the CIA», Rubio wrote on his X profile.
The level of frankness in the message is unusual in U.S. diplomacy, where intelligence operations are typically kept out of public debate.
The tweet seems aimed both at Cuban officials dissatisfied with the regime and at ordinary citizens, arriving at a time when pressure from Washington on Havana has steadily escalated throughout 2026.
Also this Friday, it was reported that the President of the United States, Donald Trump, spoke again about the possibility of sending military ships from the United States off the coast of Cuba once operations in Iran are concluded, and he stated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be responsible for "finalizing the agreement" with the Island.
The statements were made during a campaign event held on October 23 in Fort Myers, Florida, where Trump participated in a Republican rally ahead of the legislative elections on November 3.
Cuba-United States: Tension Rises
In May, the CIA director, John Ratcliffe, made a secret visit to Havana and met with the Cuban interior minister and the head of Cuban intelligence.
That same month, Rubio released a video message in Spanish offering 100 million dollars in food and medicine to be distributed through the Catholic Church —not GAESA— and the United States announced the preparation of criminal charges against Raúl Castro for the shooting down of aircraft from Brothers to the Rescue in 1996.
In August, an investigation by the New York Times revealed the establishment of a secret CIA task force dedicated exclusively to Cuba, composed of analysts, operations agents, cyber specialists, and covert influence personnel, with the aim of exploiting divisions within the Cuban political elite.
Cuba was classified that month as a "Priority 1" intelligence target by the United States, in the same category as China, Iran, and Russia.
In September, before the UN General Assembly, Rubio described a "golden opportunity" for Cuba and indicated that Washington was willing to help if Havana accepted real changes.
At the beginning of October, Rubio sent a direct message to the Cuban armed forces asking them to "open their eyes" to the reality of the regime.
Friday's tweet represents the most direct step taken so far: a public call to collaborate with the CIA, without intermediaries or euphemisms.
Rubio has repeatedly warned that the Cuban government cannot prolong negotiations while waiting for the end of the Trump administration. "They won't be able to buy time," he said in May.
And on September 30, he was more explicit: those who think they can hold out until then, he warned, “will learn the lesson the hard way”.
The Cuban government, led by President Miguel Díaz-Canel, has so far resisted all pressures without yielding to Washington's demands for political and economic reforms.
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