The Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez, described the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, as “disastrous,” and accused Washington of trying to “destroy and cause disaster” on the island, in statements released this Friday through social networks.
Without directly mentioning his name, the chancellor assured that Rubio “is not able to explain why his powerful Government has had to dedicate so many years and mobilize so many resources to try to destroy and cause disaster in a relatively small developing country with little natural wealth”, without managing – he stated – “to subdue or break it.”
The disastrous Secretary of State of #USA is not able to explain why its powerful government has had to dedicate so many years and mobilize so many resources to try to destroy and cause disaster in a relatively small developing country with little natural wealth, and… pic.twitter.com/FjVM8VrKwn
— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) December 19, 2025
Rodríguez’s statements came after Rubio reiterated his criticism of the Cuban government, which he described as “terrorist” and “incompetent,” and stated that any US administration would like to see “radical change” in Cuba. “It’s a disaster. It’s not just because they are Marxists and terrorists. They are incompetent. They are incompetent people who destroyed that country,” said the head of US diplomacy.
In response, the Cuban minister stated that Rubio “fears Cuba’s rebellious and undefeated example” and what he described as its ability to “achieve true independence and promote social justice in the broadest way.”
Rodríguez also reiterated that United States policy towards the island has had the objective of “depressing, dismantling and destroying the Cuban economy” for more than six decades, for which, he said, Washington has mobilized “its enormous economic and technological power” and its coercive capacity on a global scale.
According to EFE, previously, the chancellor had accused Rubio of “lying” by stating that the Cuban Government does not cooperate with the United States in matters such as the fight against drug trafficking and terrorism. According to Rodríguez, the Secretary of State “hides the work of his own specialized agencies,” which, he assured, have benefited for years from bilateral cooperation in these areas.
Rubio’s statements coincide with an increase in pressure from the Donald Trump Administration against the Venezuelan government of Nicolás Maduro, one of Havana’s main allies, whom Washington accuses of leading a drug trafficking network, accusations that Caracas rejects.
Since Trump’s return to the White House last January, the United States has reactivated a policy of greater interference in Latin America, inspired by the Monroe Doctrine, with new strategies that demonstrate Washington’s interest in influencing the internal affairs of the region, according to analysts.
