Rubio Urges Cubans to Collaborate with CIA
Source reports published 24 Oct 2026, 9:43 am – 10:43 am AEST
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Cubans to discreetly partner with the CIA to facilitate political change on the island. This followed statements from President Trump regarding potential U.S. naval actions near Cuba.
What happened
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Cubans to collaborate with the CIA to bring about political change.
- He stated that Cubans should seize the opportunity to create desired change through a ‘discrete partnership’ with the CIA, citing disappointment with failed promises and corruption within the communist-run government.
- President Donald Trump suggested sending Rubio to Cuba to negotiate a deal, and proposed a scenario involving U.S. naval vessels stopping near Cuba.
- Rubio has been a long-time critic of the Cuban government and advocated for a tougher U.S. approach.
- The CIA, State Department, White House, and Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C. were contacted for comment.
Original reporting
- Al Jazeera: Marco Rubio urges Cubans to collaborate with CIA to topple gov’t
2026-10-24T00:00:00+00:00 - Fox News: Rubio urges Cubans to work with CIA to bring political change to communist-run island
2026-10-23T23:43:20+00:00 - Washington Examiner: Rubio calls for Cubans to partner with CIA
2026-10-24T00:43:12+00:00