Rubio Urges Cubans to Work With CIA for Political Change; Trump Suggests Sending Him to Island
The Secretary of State encouraged discreet cooperation with U.S. intelligence, while the former president floated a potential diplomatic mission.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio encouraged Cubans seeking political change to discreetly cooperate with the CIA, stating in a social media post on Friday, "now is the time" to create desired change through a partnership with the U.S. intelligence agency. Rubio, whose parents were Cuban immigrants, has been a vocal critic of the Cuban government and has long advocated for a tougher U.S. stance toward the island nation.
Rubio's call for cooperation comes as former President Donald Trump suggested sending Rubio to Cuba to negotiate a deal. During a rally in Fort Myers, Florida, Trump floated the possibility of U.S. ships stopping near Cuba on the way back from Iran, with one vessel potentially stopping close to the coast. He then suggested Rubio could handle the negotiations. "We'll have Marco. Marco. We don't even have to stop. We could just put him in there and he'll figure it out. He's a great guy," Trump told the crowd.
Trump did not provide specific details about any proposed agreement with Cuba or confirm if these remarks represented an official plan. Rubio's statement did not identify a specific operation or detail the nature of such cooperation with the CIA. Previously, Rubio has warned that Cuba has infiltrated the United States with spies and characterized the communist regime as an "espionage superpower."