U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warns Cuba that the United States is focused on changing the island’s communist system after the U.S. indictment of former President Raúl Castro shocks Havana. Speaking in Miami, Rubio, a Cuban-American who opposes the Cuban government, characterizes Cuba’s political and economic model as failing. He says Cuba’s economic system “doesn’t work” and that it cannot be fixed under the current political structure. Rubio argues that the approach Cuba has relied on—“buying time” and waiting for U.S. pressure to fade—will not succeed, adding that the United States is “very serious” and “very focused.”
The warning comes alongside U.S. military activity in the Caribbean. The U.S. Navy announces that the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and escort warships enter the region. President Donald Trump responds to questions about whether the deployment is intended to intimidate Cuba, saying the purpose is not to do so. Rubio nevertheless repeats that the U.S. prefers a diplomatic solution while signaling that the U.S. has other options.
