Marco Rubio Shares Two Clear Words: “Cuba Needs to Change”
As President Donald J. Trump advances a forceful strategy to isolate Cuba’s communist regime, Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a blunt message that is reverberating far beyond Havana: “Cuba needs to change.”
The President’s renewed energy quarantine is designed to squeeze the dictatorship at its most vulnerable point. By targeting the regime’s access to fuel and financial networks, the administration is escalating pressure on a government long propped up by authoritarian control and economic manipulation.
The consequences are significant for Cuba’s 10 million residents. Years of economic mismanagement under communist rule have already left the island grappling with crumbling infrastructure, scarce food supplies, and limited access to medicine. The tightening U.S. blockade further exposes the regime’s failures, amplifying shortages of water and essential goods.
“There’s a number of epidemics rippling through the population right now, repression is increasing as the regime feels cornered, and they are not signaling any willingness to negotiate with the United States,” said Sebastián Arcos, interim director of the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University.
“These people are really, really bad guys, and they have shown this capacity to survive difficult crises,” he added. “I don’t think they can survive this one.”
A Strategy Rooted in Leverage, Not Chaos
President Trump signaled Friday that the United States could pursue what he described as a potential “friendly takeover” of Cuba — an approach reminiscent of America’s pressure campaign in Venezuela, where military leadership was reshuffled while economic cooperation was demanded.
Rubio is reportedly central to shaping that strategy. According to regional reporting, discussions have involved Raúl Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, grandson and close confidant of Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old strongman who continues to wield decisive influence over the island’s authoritarian structure.
Rodriguez Castro is believed to play a significant role in GAESA, the military-controlled conglomerate dominating vast sectors of the Cuban economy. The Miami Herald previously reported that GAESA’s hidden assets were estimated at roughly $18 billion as recently as 2024 — a staggering figure in a country plagued by chronic scarcity.
Diplomatic contacts reportedly occurred on the sidelines of the Caribbean Community conference in St. Kitts and Nevis this week.
Yet Rubio made clear that the administration’s objective is reform — not reckless destabilization.
“Cuba needs to change. It needs to change. And it doesn’t have to change all at once,” he told reporters Wednesday.
Those two words — needs to change — underscore a doctrine rooted in accountability and long-term structural reform, rather than endless intervention.
War Powers Debate Erupts Amid Iran Strikes
While pressure mounts on Havana, the administration is also navigating a volatile Middle East landscape.
Following joint U.S.–Israeli strikes against Iran, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Rubio had formally notified congressional leadership before military operations began.
“President Trump monitored the situation overnight at Mar a Lago alongside members of his national security team. The President spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu by phone,” Leavitt wrote.
“Prior to the attacks, Secretary Rubio called all members of the gang of eight to provide congressional notification, and he was able to reach and brief seven of the eight members,” she added.
“The President and his national security team will continue to closely monitor the situation throughout the day.”
The so-called “Gang of Eight” includes top congressional leadership and intelligence committee chairs and ranking members. Mike Johnson confirmed the briefing.
“The Gang of Eight was briefed in detail earlier this week about potential military action against Iran,” Johnson said, according to The Independent.
Under the 1947 National Security Act, Congress must be kept “fully informed” of major intelligence activities. Historically, administrations of both parties have interpreted notification of the “Gang of Eight” as satisfying that obligation.
Critics, however, pushed back. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., posted on X: “Acts of war unauthorized by Congress.”
Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna had prepared legislation aimed at restricting presidential authority to conduct strikes without formal authorization — reigniting the perennial debate over executive war powers.
A Broader Doctrine of Accountability
As those debates unfold, Rubio also announced that Iran has officially been designated a state sponsor of wrongful detention. The move follows President Trump’s executive order last fall protecting Americans from unlawful detainment abroad, as well as the Countering Wrongful Detention Act of 2025 passed by Congress.
The State Department warned that additional steps may follow if Tehran fails to alter its conduct, including the possibility of restricting U.S. passport use “to, through, or from Iran.”
Taken together, the administration’s posture reflects a broader doctrine: hold authoritarian regimes accountable, apply targeted pressure, protect American citizens, and avoid the costly nation-building missteps of the past.
Whether confronting Tehran or Havana, Rubio’s message signals a deliberate recalibration of American leverage.
And in the case of Cuba, the warning is unmistakable: change is no longer optional.