U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly called on Cubans to establish a discreet partnership with the CIA to force an end to the island's communist government. The appeal comes alongside public statements from U.S. President Donald Trump hinting at military action against Havana. Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio mocked the recruitment pitch as desperate, while UN rights experts condemned the Trump administration's ongoing oil blockade on Cuba as a violation of international law.
CIA recruitment campaign targeting Cubans
- ▪The CIA previously launched foreign recruitment campaigns targeting potential intelligence sources in Russia in 2023 and 2024, as well as in China
- ▪The CIA uploaded a video on X following Marco Rubio's call for a CIA partnership, offering instructions in Spanish for individuals seeking to share information with the agency, advising them to visit a U.S. embassy in person if safe
- ▪U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Cubans on October 23, 2026 to form a discreet partnership with the CIA to bring change to Cuba's communist government
- ▪Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio mocked Marco Rubio's CIA recruitment call on X, comparing the public recruitment attempt to selling toothpaste
Marco Rubio's statements on Cuba
- ▪U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in September 2026 that Cuba is a failed state with an unfunctional economy governed by a non-functional government
- ▪U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in September 2026 that Cuba cannot achieve economic freedom without first establishing political freedom
Cuban diplomatic responses to US pressure
- ▪Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio stated on C-SPAN in September 2026 that U.S. military force against Cuba would be an atrocious international crime
- ▪Cuba's foreign minister told the UN General Assembly in September 2026 that Cuba remains open to dialogue with Washington
Impact and international response to US oil blockade
- ▪A U.S.-imposed oil blockade initiated in February 2026 has subjected Cuba to fuel shortages, severe economic hardship, and power grid blackouts
- ▪United Nations rights experts condemned the U.S. oil blockade on Cuba as a violation of international law
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