Marco Rubio says the United States remains prepared to provide Cuba with US$100 million in humanitarian and technological assistance, but indicated that meaningful progress is unlikely unless there is a change in the island’s political leadership.
Rubio made the remarks during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity while traveling with Donald Trump aboard Air Force One.
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The comments come as Cuba faces one of its most severe economic and energy crises in recent years. On Tuesday, widespread electricity failures reportedly left approximately 65 percent of the country without power, intensifying frustration among citizens already grappling with shortages of fuel, food, and basic supplies.
Rubio, a Cuban-American and longstanding critic of Havana’s communist government, said Cuba’s problems stem from systemic economic dysfunction and entrenched corruption.
“It’s a broken, nonfunctional economy, and it’s impossible to change it,” Rubio said. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to change the trajectory of Cuba as long as these people are in charge.”
According to the U.S. Department of State, the proposed assistance package would include direct humanitarian support as well as funding to expand high-speed and unrestricted internet access for the Cuban people.
The State Department said the decision now rests with the Cuban government.
“The regime refuses to allow the United States to provide this assistance to the Cuban people, who are in desperate need because of the failures of Cuba’s corrupt regime,” the department said in a statement.
Havana has denied receiving a formal offer.
Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla dismissed Rubio’s earlier comments as false and questioned whether the proposal was intended to undermine Cuba’s sovereignty.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to lift the fuel blockade?” Rodríguez wrote on social media.
The aid offer follows the Trump administration’s decision to impose new sanctions targeting entities linked to Cuba’s state-controlled economy and their international partners.
Cuba’s economic difficulties have been compounded by a sharp decline in fuel imports. The country previously relied heavily on oil shipments from Venezuela, but those supplies have dwindled significantly in recent months.
On Wednesday, small protests were reported in several neighborhoods of Havana, where residents banged pots and pans and demanded the restoration of electricity.
Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged the worsening situation but blamed the crisis on what he described as a “genocidal energy blockade” imposed by the United States.
The Trump administration has already directed US$6 million in humanitarian assistance to Cuba through the Catholic Church, which has historically served as an intermediary between Washington and Havana.
Despite the latest offer, analysts note that any agreement remains unlikely given the deep mistrust between the two governments and Cuba’s longstanding resistance to outside political pressure.
As the island confronts escalating blackouts and growing public discontent, the standoff underscores the continuing tensions between Washington and Havana over the future of Cuba’s economy, governance, and sovereignty.
