Marco Rubio urges Cubans to contact the CIA amid mounting pressure on the Havana regime

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday called on Cubans seeking political change to contact the CIA, in an unusual public appeal amid Washington’s intensifying pressure on the communist government in Havana.

“Those who want to bring positive change to Cuba: now is the time,” Rubio said. He urged those dissatisfied with corruption, broken promises and the privileges of the elites to help bring about change “through a discreet partnership with the CIA.” The U.S. agency later published a video in Spanish with instructions for people interested in providing information.

The appeal is unprecedented in its direct reference to CIA involvement and its suggestion of a possible regime change. Cuban authorities mocked the message, calling it a sign of Washington’s “desperation.” Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez also rejected threats concerning the United States’ ambitions toward Cuba.

Relations between the two countries have been strained by the U.S. embargo imposed in 1962, additional sanctions and the political pressure promoted by the Donald Trump administration. The U.S. president has even raised the possibility of an intervention, while Rubio is one of the leading advocates of a policy of maximum pressure on Havana.

The CIA’s involvement in Cuba has a controversial history. In April 1961, the Bay of Pigs invasion, organized with the agency’s support, failed in its attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro’s regime. The agency was later linked to several assassination attempts against Cuban leaders.