Marco Rubio Criticizes Cuban Leaders: "They'd Rather Rule a Dying Nation than Let it Thrive"

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sharply criticized Cuba's leadership, asserting that its leaders "would rather rule over a dying nation than allow it to flourish."

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Rubio condemned the ruling powers in Cuba for their inability to improve the daily lives of their citizens without maintaining a stranglehold on essential sectors.

"Cuba's fundamental issue is the absence of a viable economy. Those in charge are clueless about enhancing their people's daily lives without relinquishing control over the sectors they dominate," Rubio told Alerta News 24.

Rubio emphasized that despite opportunities to open up the economy or enact reforms, the regime has shown no willingness to do so. He insisted that Cuba's political and economic systems are broken, and the ruling elites are unwilling to implement necessary reforms to revitalize the economy or expand civil liberties, resulting in decades of stagnation.

He stressed that Cuban authorities "want to control everything" and cling to power, even amid profound economic and social collapse.

"They don't know how to get out of this. And when presented with opportunities, they seem incapable of understanding or embracing them in any way," he underscored.

Rubio reiterated that these elites prefer "to rule over a dying nation rather than allow it to prosper," a candid statement that reflects the U.S. administration's stance toward the Havana government.

Throughout his tenure, Rubio has been a vocal advocate within the Trump Administration for increasing diplomatic and economic pressure on Cuba.

In recent months, he has labeled the Cuban administration as a "disastrous regime" responsible for the country's prolonged crisis of shortages, mass emigration, and social decay facing the island.

In other remarks, Rubio has accused the governments of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua of causing severe migration crises in the hemisphere, claiming these countries' systems are dysfunctional and create conditions that drive thousands to seek better opportunities abroad.

Rubio's stance on Cuba has consistently been one of confrontation, rejecting the notion of negotiating with the current leadership without significant prior changes in their political direction.

In the context of deepening crisis on the island—with severe fuel shortages, prolonged blackouts, and challenges to basic services—his comments from Washington underscore the need for Cuba to embark on a profound transformation that involves allowing prosperity and freedom to grow without the State's absolute control.