During a conference held at Mar-a-Lago alongside President Donald Trump and other senior U.S. officials, Marco Rubio made a statement that caught attention: "If I were living in Havana and part of the government, I'd be at least a little worried."
This comment came after Trump's remarks detailing the operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. A journalist inquired directly about any "message for Cuba," prompting a response from Trump.
Trump took the opportunity to describe the island as a nation in disarray.
"Is there a message for Cuba?" Trump responded, "Cuba is an interesting case... things aren't going well for Cuba at the moment... that system hasn't been great for Cuba... the people have suffered for many years... Cuba is a failed nation right now... and we want to help the people... help those who were forced to leave Cuba and are living in this country."
He then passed the microphone to his Secretary of State.
"Want to say something about that, Marco?" Rubio declared, "Cuba is a disaster. It's run by incompetents... there's no economy, it's in total collapse."
Rubio also linked Havana to the political and security control over Venezuela during Maduro's years, aiming to resonate with the Cuban audience by highlighting the regime's influence in the region.
"Why mention Cuba in this context?" Rubio explained, "All the guards helping to protect Maduro... his entire espionage agency... was filled with Cubans... one of Venezuela's biggest problems is that they need to declare independence from Cuba... they essentially tried to colonize it from a security standpoint."
"What does this mean for Havana?" Rubio concluded, "If I were living in Havana and part of the government, I'd be at least a little worried."
The exchange ended with a reference to measures already announced by Trump regarding sanctions and energy. Rubio reminded that the president "announced it a week ago," emphasizing that "the sanctioned oil" wouldn't be allowed to "get there," which many interpret as a direct warning about the supplies propping up the Cuban regime.
Implications of U.S. Sanctions on Cuba
What message did Marco Rubio convey to Cuba?
Marco Rubio warned that if he were part of the Cuban government, he would be worried about the current state of affairs in Cuba and its ties to Venezuela.
How did President Trump describe Cuba?
President Trump described Cuba as a failed nation, suffering under a system that has not been beneficial for its people, and expressed a desire to aid both Cubans on the island and those forced to leave.
What role did Cubans play in Venezuela according to Rubio?
Rubio noted that Cubans were heavily involved in protecting Maduro's regime and were a significant part of his espionage agency, effectively trying to colonize Venezuela from a security perspective.