Rubio says Cuba needs ‘new people in charge’ as blackouts, unrest grip island

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that U.S. sanctions connected Cuba are tied to governmental alteration connected the island, arsenic the state faces wide blackouts, unrest and a worsening economical crisis.

"Suffice it to accidental that the embargo is tied to governmental alteration connected the island," Rubio told reporters astatine the White House. "The law, it's been codified. And, but the bottommost enactment is their system doesn't work. It's a nonfunctional economy. It's an system that has survived.… That happening they have, has survived connected subsidies from the Soviet Union and present from Venezuela. They don't get subsidies anymore. So they're successful a batch of trouble. And the radical successful complaint of them don't cognize however to hole it. So they person to get caller radical successful charge."

Rubio’s comments travel arsenic Cuba faces a deepening vigor situation that has fueled protests and instability. 

A nationwide powerfulness grid illness near astir 10 cardinal radical without electricity, according to U.S. Embassy statements and Cuban authorities.

PROTESTERS TORCH COMMUNIST PARTY HQ IN CUBA AS VIDEO APPEARS TO CAPTURE GUNFIRE

People locomotion connected the thoroughfare during a blackout successful Havana, March 16, 2026. (Ramon Espinosa/AP)

President Donald Trump indicated his medication is actively engaged. 

"Cuba close present is successful precise atrocious shape. They're talking to Marco," Trump told the reporters, "We’ll beryllium doing thing with Cuba precise soon.… We’re dealing with Cuba."

Trump escalated his rhetoric against Cuba Monday, saying ‌he expected to person the "honor" of "taking Cuba successful immoderate form" and that "I tin bash thing I want" with the neighboring country.

A elder State Department authoritative rejected claims that U.S. sanctions are liable for the humanitarian situation, saying, "Widespread blackouts person sadly go communal for galore years successful Cuba — a grounds of the failing regime’s incompetence and inability to supply adjacent the astir basal goods and work for its people."  

"This is the tragic effect of implicit 60 years of Communist rule," the authoritative added. "An land that was erstwhile the crown jewel of the Caribbean has plunged into utmost poorness and darkness. 

"As President Trump has said, what is near of the authorities should marque a woody and yet fto the Cuban radical beryllium escaped and prosperous, with the assistance of the United States," the authoritative told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP DECLARES NATIONAL EMERGENCY OVER CUBA, THREATENS TARIFFS ON NATIONS THAT SUPPLY OIL TO COMMUNIST REGIME

Protesters stitchery extracurricular a Communist Party office successful Morón, Cuba, arsenic a occurrence burns successful the thoroughfare during overnight unrest. Video obtained by Fox News Digital appeared to amusement demonstrators attempting to acceptable occurrence to the gathering amid protests linked to wide blackouts. (Reuters)

Cuban quality rights activistic Rosa María Payá argued that the existent situation reflects systemic illness wrong the regime, not outer pressure. 

"The blackout is the regime's illness made visible: 65 years of totalitarianism yet consuming itself," Payá told Fox News Digital. "The protests are Cubans refusing to vanish into that darkness." 

She rejected claims that U.S. sanctions are driving the humanitarian situation. 

"Cubans are not suffering due to the fact that of American policy," she said. "They are suffering due to the fact that of a dictatorship. Pressure connected the authorities works. What hurts the Cuban radical is legitimizing it." 

"The lone mode to extremity the humanitarian catastrophe is to extremity the regime," Payá added. "That’s the request of the Cuban people." 

Recent blackouts and shortages person been linked to failures astatine cardinal infrastructure, including the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric powerfulness plant, arsenic good arsenic substance shortages pursuing U.S. actions to curtail lipid shipments from Venezuela, 1 of Cuba’s superior vigor suppliers.

At the aforesaid time, Pentagon officials told lawmakers determination are nary plans to invade Cuba, adjacent arsenic they described it arsenic a long-standing information concern.

Joseph Humire, performing the duties of adjunct caput of defence for homeland defence and Americas information affairs, said helium was "not acquainted with immoderate plans connected Cuba" erstwhile asked during a House Armed Services Committee proceeding Tuesday.

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Riot constabulary locomotion the streets aft a objection against the authorities of President Miguel Diaz-Canel successful Arroyo Naranjo Municipality, Havana, connected July 12, 2021. (Yamil Lage/AFP)

He described Cuba arsenic "one of the strongest quality adversaries that we've had successful the United States," adding that Cuban officials person operated crossed the portion and were "defending Nicolás Maduro… successful Caracas" during past operations. 

Cuba’s authorities has blamed U.S. sanctions for worsening the crisis, portion U.S. officials reason it stems from decades of economical mismanagement and reliance connected overseas subsidies.