Rubio says Cuba is threat to US as Havana accuses him of 'lies'

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

Rubio says Cuba is threat to US as Havana accuses him of 'lies'

21 May 2026

Sofia Ferreira Santos

Cuba poses a "national security threat" to the US and the likelihood of a peaceful agreement is "not high", US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.

His comments come just a day after the US charged Cuba's former president Raúl Castro with murder over the 1996 downing of two planes resulting in the killing of US nationals.

Rubio said Washington's preference was "a diplomatic solution" but warned that President Donald Trump had the right and obligation to protect his country against any threat.

Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez accused Rubio of "lies" and said the island had never posed a threat to the US.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgpzwkn5jko

[FloridaBlues]

1. They hardly have electricity or fuel in Cuba.

[newdeal2]

2. Yes with all their advanced automobiles

And cigars.

Who are they trying fool here?

[Srkdqltr]

3. Maube they have nukes? You think? Good grief.

[Vogon_Glory]

4. Even old Cold Warriors like me don't think that Cuba poses much of a threat to the US

Cuba had an ailing economy even before Donnie and the Republicans thought to use it as their punching-bag to please the emigres and to soften it up for Donnie’s multi-million dollar campaign donors/investors.

As a matter of fact, I’d say that the island republic is doing the US a service, whether the Cuban government intended to or not: the Cuban government is keeping the Mexican and South American criminal cartels OUT of Cuba, and I believe that the cartels pose far more of a national security threat to the US than the Havana government does.

[Wednesdays]

21. The Felon wants to Make Cuba Great Again...like it was in 1958

Hotels...casinos...widespread corruption...
Whee!
The new Trump family playground!

[Vogon_Glory]

32. I certainly think that's one of his motives, but also

I traveled to Cuba a couple of times, the last being for a diving vacation over 12 years ago, and the Cubans had been building new hotels and resorts for Canadian and European vacationers since it dawned on senior Cuban officials that tourism was a good way to increase wealth. I don’t doubt that Donnie and some of his donors think to acquire control of those properties and stiffing the European partners through typically shady means in the process.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. The elephant is afraid of the tiny mouse. Laughable .

Last edited Thu May 21, 2026, 10:15 PM - Edit history (1)

[Attilatheblond]

6. More likely: Trump wants another overpriced golf club & fancy hotel for rich pedophiles who want vacations off shore.

[Rebl2]

9. Bingo!

[wnylib]

19. He's not afraid. He's looking for an easy conquest

to make himself look successful after his failure in Iran. Choosing to attack a communist nation and long time political adversary of the US boosts his image. Americans are accustomed to thinking of Cuba as an enemy. It was dangerous in the Cold War as a Soviet Ally where the Soviets installed missiles.

The Soviet Union no longer exists and Cuba poses zero threat to the US. But the American people's impression of Cuba has not changed in the decades since the 1960s. So Trump is using that image to pose as the great hero who rescues the Cuban people from communism.

His real reasons are, as usual, far from the phony image that he projects. He is carving out the entire western hemisphere as his domain, under his control. In his mind, he owns not only the US, but all of North, South, and Central America, plus all of the Caribbean islands.

Trump's dream for Cuba would be to restore crime mob rule there, like it was under Batista. He would make it a playground for the wealthy, with casinos, brothels, and poverty for the general population. Those are the conditions that led to the overthrow of Batista. Castro initially promoted socialism. It was US constant efforts to overthrow him that pushed him into communism and defense aid from the Soviets.

I oppose communism as a dictatorship from the extreme left, just the same as I oppose fascist dictatorship from the extreme right. But Batista's RW dictatorship was so bad that the Cuban people's lives improved materially after he was overthrown.

If the US had not maintained hostilities and cut off all contact and trade with Cuba, we might have been able to influence Cuba toward democracy, but peacefully, not through miliary threats of invasion.

EDIT TO ADD: Mob elements in the US want their Cuban playground back. Trump's failure in Iran makes his goal of a Gaza resort unfeasible. Too dangerous in the Middle East where terrorism is more common than water.

So Trump is shifting his focus to Cuba.

[Attilatheblond]

22. "...looking for an easy conquest" is the go-to modus operandi of men who rape children

[wnylib]

31. Very true.

[malaise]

7. inversion of reality

as always

[Rebl2]

8. That is laughable

I can’t believe he said Cuba is a threat to us.

[maxsolomon]

25. They will say anything that they need to, no matter how absurd.

Because they know they don't have to explain or provide evidence.

The worst Cuba could do to the US is give us the side-eye.

[Oneironaut]

10. lol!!!

Love the manufactured consent that’s forming before our very eyes.

Yes - Cuba is basically Al Qaeda. This is so very convincing.

[travelingthrulife]

11. Rubio is really a nutcase.

Poor Cuba.

[Rebl2]

34. He's

catching what ever trumpy has.

[Nanjeanne]

12. Somebody needs to stop this insanity. I've never been so frightened for this country. This is not

amusing or funny. This is their go to for every chance for pitiful boys to play strongmen.

[maxsolomon]

26. No one will or can stop it.

The American Voters put MFer and the GOP in complete control.

The US will invade or extract concessions from Cuba (return of nationalized property to the RW exiles) that render the 1960 Revolution null and void.

Trump is going to finish off the Castro regime and give himself the Medal of Freedom for doing so. Then he'll build a 200' golden statue of himself in Havana.

[purr-rat beauty]

13. The skeletons in his closet

Are growing

[Deuxcents]

14. Rubio never says what the threat is but that it's all Cuba's fault for their situation..failing to mention

Our embargo 60+ years of embargo that has chocked the life out of the people.

[groundloop]

16. THIS

Our embargo of Cuba is absolutely insane.

[Melon]

15. Focus on the cartels. That is the cancer south

Of us that we don’t want in the US. Cuba is dying a natural death on its own.

[IcyPeas]

17. "National Security threat" ☢️

Is the go to answer for everything they do.

[Initech]

18. No, the real threat to America is the United States republican party.

They’ve done far more damage to the United States than Osama Bin Laden could ever dream of.

[spanone]

20. These fuckers are trying to rule the world.

What have they done for America????

Anything to distract from Iran and Epstein Files.

[Johonny]

23. Rubio is clearly trying to still fight a revolution

That occurred before most of us was born and few of us care to revist. This is personal nut war that has little value to America first movement.

[republianmushroom]

24. Rubio, lie, you bet your ass he does.

The Cubans have it right, a threat to the US ?

[NoMoreRepugs]

27. Rubio has zero problem with talking straight out of his ass. Yeah, Cuba poses a grave threat to the US - BULLSHIT.

[Solly Mack]

28. When you're lying, no one is accusing you by telling the truth about your lying -

they are merely stating a fact.

[Matthew28]

29. We should open up

Trade and help these people. The last thing we should do is attack them.
Give them massive amounts of solar panels to help them get away from fossil fuels.

[Brother Buzz]

30. Rubio has a woody dreaming...

He’s gonna be showered with flowers when he rides into Havana on a white horse

[Vogon_Glory]

33. He might as well enjoy his fantasy

I suspect that unlike the Cuban emigres on the mainland, the island Cubans already loathe him.