By Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Cubans Friday to work discreetly with the CIA to bring change to the island’s communist government, publicly calling on them to act against a ruling elite he blamed for corruption and years of broken promises.
“Now is the time,” Rubio wrote in a post on the State Department’s official Twitter account. He told Cubans to “seize this opportunity to create the change you desire through a discrete partnership with the CIA.”
To those who seek to create positive change in Cuba – now is the time.
The disappointment of failed promises, corruption, and the privileged lives of only a few; seize this opportunity to create the change you desire through a discrete partnership with the CIA.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) October 23, 2026
The appeal followed President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Fort Myers, Florida, explained The Daily Caller. Trump said Navy ships returning from the Iran war could stop roughly 50 yards from Cuba’s coast, then “send Marco Rubio in to finish up the job.”
Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío mocked the appeal on Twitter, saying there “must be a great deal of desperation or misery within the agency for it to be forced to sell its services like a tube of toothpaste.” The CIA later posted a Spanish-language video advising potential informants to use a private browser and disposable email address when contacting the agency online.
Cuba is grappling with blackouts, shortages and inflation as Washington continues to impose sanctions, according to Agence France-Presse. Rubio has described the Cuban government as a longstanding security threat and expressed doubt that an agreement could succeed under its current leadership, the Associated Press reported. A State Department report on Cuba’s alleged influence network also accused Havana of conducting espionage and political influence operations in the United States.
The public call comes amid reports of quieter contacts. Rubio held talks earlier this year with a grandson of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, Axios reported. Cuba’s envoy has accused Rubio of focusing on regime change, according to Newsweek. When online jokes suggested Rubio might effectively run Cuba, Trump replied, “sounds good to me!”
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