Rubio Warns Cuba: Don’t Wait Out the Trump Administration, Choose Another Path

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States hopes Cuba will choose “another path,” warning that those who believe they can wait until President Donald Trump’s administration ends will “learn the lesson the hard way” if they don’t change course.

The Trump administration has previously stated that its goal is to change Cuba’s communist government.

A U.S.-imposed oil blockade, enforced earlier this year, has put the country under severe pressure as it faces fuel shortages and power outages worsened by damaged infrastructure.

“We hope Cuba will choose another path,” Rubio said, adding that Washington hoped “some people” who control the Cuban government would “open their eyes to the reality they are facing.”

“Unfortunately, many people who continue there to chant revolutionary slogans still believe they can wait until the end of this administration and make no changes or do nothing. They are wrong, and they will learn the lesson the hard way if they don’t correct their mistakes,” Rubio added.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez told the UN General Assembly on Saturday that Cuba will always be open to dialogue with Washington.

Trump predicted over the weekend that the U.S. and Cuba would reach a deal and that he does not think military action will be necessary.

Washington has maintained an embargo on Cuba for more than 60 years, and the Trump administration has increased pressure on Havana after using the U.S. military in January to topple and capture then-Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.

“They need free and fair elections in that country,” Rubio said of Venezuela, adding that Washington was working to create the conditions needed for such elections as soon as possible. He offered no timeline.