Marco Rubio should know better. It’s not with a hardline approach that Cuba will change—on the contrary, it will only strengthen the weak Cuban regime led by Miguel Díaz-Canel.
Rubio should know this; Jorge Mas Canosa, the powerful leader of the Cuban opposition based in Miami, may have been his mentor. Mas Canosa tried in every way to overthrow Fidel Castro’s regime, without success. There’s a joke Cuban exiles often repeat: at New Year’s toasts, they would clink glasses and say, “Next year, we’ll celebrate in Havana.” That never happened.
The attacks from the U.S. government, the economic embargo, and other measures have served only to help the Cuban regime hide its governmental inefficiencies, while Cuban society has been the real victim. If there’s no economic growth, if there’s more control from security forces and fewer prospects for new generations, it’s justified by blaming the “Yumas,” the Americans.
This week, Donald Trump’s administration, along with Cuban-American Marco Rubio, announced they would tighten the pressure on the Cuban government… but in reality, what they’re doing is punishing the Cuban people, plunging them further into unjust poverty.
All the economic measures announced have already been implemented by previous administrations: travel bans to the island, penalizing companies doing business with Cuba, and limiting remittances to family members.
Rubio stated that the United States was committed to “supporting the Cuban people in their pursuit of freedom and justice.” On his X account, he emphasized that “thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we will hold the illegitimate Cuban regime accountable.”
The memorandum demands reports on American fugitives who have taken refuge on the Latin American island. In addition, the “Wet Foot, Dry Foot” policy will remain repealed to curb irregular migration.
The Cuban people—by which I mean everyday Cubans—have suffered through this political war. In the name of the Revolution and the Embargo, they have endured hunger, lack of basic services, and terrifying experiences for those trying to migrate. Unable to reach the United States, many have sought to go to Mexico, Spain, or any other country.
What Rubio has announced won’t bring the country to its knees. Cubans are hard-working and incredibly resilient people. This was evident during the Special Period in the 1990s. If Trump is trying to subdue them and wound their pride, they will once again turn their backs on him.
