Marco Rubio urges Cubans to cooperate with the CIA to change the regime

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday called on Cubans seeking “positive change” to discreetly contact the CIA, in an appeal published amid mounting Washington pressure on the government in Havana. It is the first time the U.S. official has directly urged the island’s residents to cooperate with the intelligence agency.

Rubio cited disappointment over unfulfilled promises, corruption and the privileges of an elite, without providing details about the nature of any potential partnership. His statement was interpreted as an open reference to the possibility of regime change in Cuba.

Relations between the United States and Cuba have become sharply strained in recent months. Washington has imposed sanctions, restricted oil supplies and accused former Cuban leader Raúl Castro in a case dating back to 1996. President Donald Trump has described the island as a threat to national security and has repeatedly stated that the United States could take control of it.

Havana rejected the threats. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez accused Washington of having ambitions of domination. The CIA has a controversial history in Cuba, including its support for the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and plots targeting Cuban leaders.