{"id":2436,"date":"2026-05-22T07:40:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T07:40:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/22\/rubio-doubtful-of-diplomacy-with-cuba-as-trump-renews-threat-of-military-action\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T07:40:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T07:40:39","slug":"rubio-doubtful-of-diplomacy-with-cuba-as-trump-renews-threat-of-military-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=2436","title":{"rendered":"Rubio doubtful of diplomacy with Cuba as Trump renews threat of military action"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"7dfa9e39-9a79-4539-a399-060e286c7f25\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters holding recording devices on an airport tarmac\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4a73690e482704d3858150bf304b42dc074301bf\/500_0_5000_4000\/master\/5000.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Marco Rubio speaks to the press before travelling to a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Sweden. <\/span> Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"7dfa9e39-9a79-4539-a399-060e286c7f25\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Marco Rubio speaks to the press before travelling to a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Sweden. <\/span> Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Rubio doubtful of diplomacy with Cuba as Trump renews threat of military action<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>US secretary of state says president would like a negotiated agreement with Havana but likelihood \u2018is not high\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The US president, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Donald Trump<\/a>, and the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, on Thursday again raised the spectre of military intervention in Cuba, a renewed threat that takes on greater weight a day after the administration announced criminal charges against the island\u2019s former leader, Ra\u00fal Castro.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Trump said previous US presidents have considered intervening in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/cuba\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Cuba<\/a> for decades but that \u201cit looks like I\u2019ll be the one that does it\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cOther presidents have looked at this for 50, 60 years, doing something,\u201d Trump told reporters when asked about Cuba during an environmental event in the Oval Office. \u201cAnd, it looks like I\u2019ll be the one that does it. So, I would be happy to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Rubio told reporters separately that Cuba has been a national security threat for years because of its ties to US adversaries and that Trump was intent on addressing it.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"6b3afc6c-6ede-4a78-89d9-5952c25e3035\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-47fhrn\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-4 | 4\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1kyw41h\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-1bg5532\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/may\/21\/cuba-us-attack-raul-castro-indictment\" class=\"dcr-1m887w9\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-ut4tvs\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1h5b6rb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-169d7yv\">Cubans outraged at US charges against Ra\u00fal Castro as fears of military strikes grow<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-eurq8n\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fkf7vq\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants who has long taken a hard line against Cuba\u2019s socialist leadership, said the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/trump-administration\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Trump administration<\/a> wants to resolve differences with Havana peacefully but is doubtful the US can reach a diplomatic resolution with the island\u2019s current government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201c[Trump\u2019s] preference is always a negotiated agreement that\u2019s peaceful. That\u2019s always our preference. That remains our preference with Cuba,\u201d Rubio said in Miami before boarding a plane to attend a Nato meeting in Sweden and then visit India.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI\u2019m just being honest with you, you know, the likelihood of that happening, given who we\u2019re dealing with right now, is not high,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Top Trump aides \u2013 including Rubio, the CIA chief, John Ratcliffe, and other senior national security officials \u2013 have met Cuban officials in recent months to explore possible improvements in relations. But the US side has come away unimpressed from those talks, leading to even more sanctions imposed on the Cuban government in the past week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Over the years, Cuba has gotten used to \u201cbuying time and waiting us out,\u201d Rubio said. \u201cThey\u2019re not going to be able to wait us out or buy time. We\u2019re very serious, we\u2019re very focused.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">When asked whether the US would use force in Cuba to change the island\u2019s political system, Rubio repeated that a diplomatic settlement was preferred but noted that \u201cthe president always has the option to do whatever it takes to support and protect the national interest\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He pushed back on a reporter\u2019s suggestion that it sounded like \u201cnation-building\u201d, insisting it was about addressing a national security risk.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Federal prosecutors on Wednesday unveiled an indictment that accuses Castro of ordering the shooting down in 1996 of civilian planes flown by Miami-based exiles. The charges, which were secretly filed by a grand jury in April, included murder and destruction of an airplane.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Cuban president, Miguel D\u00edaz-Canel, condemned the indictment as a political stunt that sought only to \u201cjustify the folly of a military aggression against Cuba\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Castro indictment has led many to believe that the Trump administration is following the same playbook it did when it captured then-Venezuelan president Nicol\u00e1s Maduro in a military operation in early January. Maduro, who has been imprisoned in the US since his seizure, faces federal drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The US military touted the arrival of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and accompanying ships to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/caribbean\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Caribbean<\/a> Sea on the same day the charges against Castro were announced. US Southern Command said the ships were taking part in maritime exercises with partners in Latin America that began in March.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Rubio would not discuss how the US might move to implement the indictment against Castro, who turns 95 next month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Trump has been threatening military action in Cuba ever since ousting Maduro and then ordering an energy blockade that choked off fuel shipments to the country. That has led to severe blackouts, food shortages and an economic collapse across the island.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Trump administration this month also slapped new sanctions on Cuba, the largest of which is against Grupo de Administraci\u00f3n Empresarial SA (Gaesa), a business conglomerate operated by the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">On Thursday, Rubio announced that the sister of Gaesa\u2019s executive president, who was living in the US, has had her green card revoked and been arrested, and is now in ICE custody.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Rubio said: \u201cPast administrations have permitted the families of Cuban military elites, Iranian terrorists and other reprehensible organisations to enjoy lavish lifestyles in our country funded by stolen blood-money, while the people they repress at home suffer in increasingly dire circumstances. No longer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Trump has ratcheted up talk of regime change in Cuba after pledging to conduct a \u201cfriendly takeover\u201d of the country if its leadership did not open its economy to American investment and kick out US adversaries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">On Thursday, Rubio said Cuba poses a serious national security threat to America because of its security and intelligence ties with China and Russia and friendly relations with US foes in Latin America.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">China opposes US sanctions and pressure on Cuba, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, said on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cChina firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and national dignity and opposes external interference,\u201d Guo added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US news<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/marco-rubio\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Marco Rubio<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/cuba\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Cuba<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/trump-administration\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Trump administration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/americas\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Americas<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/caribbean\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Caribbean<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Rubio%20doubtful%20of%20diplomacy%20with%20Cuba%20as%20Trump%20renews%20threat%20of%20military%20action&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/22\/marco-rubio-doubtful-diplomacy-cuba-trump-renews-threat-military-action?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F22%2Fmarco-rubio-doubtful-diplomacy-cuba-trump-renews-threat-military-action&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/22\/marco-rubio-doubtful-diplomacy-cuba-trump-renews-threat-military-action\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Marco Rubio speaks to the press before travelling to a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Sweden. Photograph:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2438,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2436","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2436","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2436"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2436\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}