US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba posed a “national security threat” to the United States and warned that prospects for a diplomatic resolution with Havana were slim, prompting a sharp response from Cuban officials.
Rubio’s remarks came a day after US authorities charged former Cuban leader Raúl Castro over the 1996 downing of two planes belonging to the Cuban-American group Brothers to the Rescue, an incident that killed four people, including three Americans.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Rubio said diplomacy remained Washington’s preferred option but suggested relations with Cuba were unlikely to improve under the current leadership.
“I’m just being honest with you, you know, the likelihood of that happening, given who we’re dealing with right now, is not high.”
He also accused Cuba of being “one of the leading sponsors of terrorism in the entire region.”
Cuba’s Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, rejected the allegations and accused Rubio of spreading falsehoods and encouraging confrontation.
The Cuban foreign minister said Rubio was using “lies” to “instigate a military aggression” against the island, insisting Cuba had never posed a threat to the United States.
The exchange further heightened tensions between Washington and Havana as Cuba continued to face severe economic hardship, including fuel shortages, food scarcity and prolonged blackouts.
Rubio said Cuba had accepted a US offer of $100m in humanitarian assistance, while President Donald Trump described Cuba as a “failed country” and said his administration was trying to help on a “humanitarian basis.”
Trump also suggested he could succeed where previous US presidents had failed in changing relations with Cuba.
“Other presidents have looked at this for 50, 60 years doing something and it looks like I’ll be the one that does it,” Trump said.
The Trump administration has increased pressure on Havana in recent months and openly discussed efforts to topple Cuba’s communist government.
Rubio also announced the arrest of Adys Lastres Morera, whom he described as the sister of a senior official linked to a Cuban military-run conglomerate. He alleged she had been living in Florida while assisting the Cuban government and said she would remain in custody pending deportation proceedings.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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