Rubio Calls for Leadership Change in Cuba as Pressure Mounts

The Trump administration is sharpening its rhetoric on Cuba, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio openly calling for a change in leadership while the United States continues to tighten pressure on the island.

Speaking during an Oval Office event on Tuesday, Rubio framed Cuba’s crisis as both economic and political.

Cuba “has an economy that doesn’t work in a political and governmental system”, he said, before concluding that “they have to get new people in charge”.

The comments come as Washington maintains a de facto fuel embargo on the island, a policy that has significantly worsened Cuba’s already fragile economy and contributed to widespread shortages and blackouts.

Rubio also dismissed recent steps by Havana to open parts of its economy — including allowing Cuban citizens living abroad to invest in businesses — as insufficient.

“What they announced yesterday is not dramatic enough. It’s not going to fix it. So they’ve got some big decisions to make,” he said.

His remarks build on a broader narrative from the administration, which argues that Cuba’s economic model has relied on external support for decades and is no longer sustainable.

Rubio pointed directly to that history, saying the country has survived “on subsidies” since the 1950s, adding that “the people in charge, they don’t know how to fix it”.

“So they have to get new people in charge,” he said.

President Donald Trump has echoed that position, signalling that further action could be imminent.

“We’ll be doing something with Cuba very soon,” he said.

The escalation comes at a moment of acute strain on the island. A series of nationwide blackouts, worsening shortages and rising public frustration have exposed the depth of Cuba’s economic crisis, while also intensifying political tensions between Havana and Washington.