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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Cuba needs new leadership as the island struggles with a deepening economic and energy crisis and a nationwide power outage.
The blackout began Monday after Cuba’s Energy Ministry reported a complete disconnection of the country’s electrical system. Officials said there were no reported failures among the power units that were operating when the national grid collapsed.
Cuba has faced repeated blackouts in recent months as its aging power infrastructure and fuel shortages strain the country’s electricity system. The crisis has added pressure to an already struggling economy.
Rubio said the island’s economic model is no longer functioning and suggested political change is necessary.
“The bottom line is their economy doesn’t work,” Rubio told reporters at the White House. “It’s a nonfunctional economy. It’s an economy that has survived. That thing they have has survived on subsidies from the Soviet Union and now from Venezuela. They don’t get subsidies anymore. So they’re in a lot of trouble. The people in charge of them don’t know how to fix it. So they have to get new people in charge.”
Rubio also said U.S. sanctions are connected to the possibility of political change in Cuba.
The comments come as President Donald Trump has escalated rhetoric toward the Cuban government. On Monday, Trump said he expected to have the “honor” of “taking Cuba in some form,” as tensions between Washington and Havana intensify.
The State Department has rejected claims that U.S. sanctions caused the recent blackout, arguing that Cuba’s power shortages stem from long-standing economic and infrastructure problems.
“This is the tragic result of over 60 years of Communist rule,” a State Department official told Fox News. “An island that was once the crown jewel of the Caribbean has plunged into extreme poverty and darkness. As President Trump has said, what is left of the regime should make a deal and finally let the Cuban people be free and prosperous, with the help of the United States.”
