Story perspectives

Rubio Urges Cubans to Seek CIA Partnership to Change Cuba

By Drooid · Oct 24, 2026, 10:20 PM UTC · How we work

Left

Minister mocks CIA recruitment

Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X Oct. 23 2026 urging Cubans to contact the CIA for a partnership to change Cuba.
The push comes as Cuba endures fuel shortages and blackouts from an oil blockade condemned by UN experts.
Cuban minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio mocked the CIA recruitment, calling it toothpaste sales.
President Donald Trump announced a rally warships will stop near Cuba, with Rubio finalizing deal.

Right

Cuba espionage superpower

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X on Oct. 23, 2026, urging Cubans to seek a CIA partnership to change Cuba.
Cuba was labeled an “espionage superpower” by Rubio after he warned the regime had infiltrated the United States with spies.
President Donald Trump said U.S. ships could stop 50 yards off Cuba’s coast after Iran.
Rubio, son of Cuban immigrants, has championed a tougher U.S. stance toward the Cuban government.

Blindspot

United Nations human-rights experts condemned the U.S. oil blockade of Cuba as a violation of international law, citing the island’s fuel shortages, blackouts and severe humanitarian impact.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Right-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, culminating in a naval quarantine ordered by President John F. Kennedy, forced the Soviet Union to withdraw missiles. The United Nations Security Council recorded 13,000 diplomatic notes that year, while the U.S. Navy deployed 13 warships to enforce the blockade. Today's U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s call for Cubans to contact the CIA and President Donald Trump’s threat to station warships echo Kennedy’s tactics. The precedent shows that external pressure can intensify humanitarian crises, prompting UN experts to label modern oil blockades illegal under international law.

1 of 4

Minister mocks CIA recruitment

Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X Oct. 23 2026 urging Cubans to contact the CIA for a partnership to change Cuba.
The push comes as Cuba endures fuel shortages and blackouts from an oil blockade condemned by UN experts.
Cuban minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio mocked the CIA recruitment, calling it toothpaste sales.
President Donald Trump announced a rally warships will stop near Cuba, with Rubio finalizing deal.

1 / 4