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

Cuba's foreign minister accused Rubio of trying to "instigate a military aggression". Cuba is a national security threat to the US, Rubio says How Cuban-Americans feel about Raúl Castro's indictment Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. The US secretary of state said Cuba had always posed a threat Rubio speaking to reporters before boarding his plane at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Thursday, May 21, 2026 Rubio says Cuba is threat to US as Havana accuses him of 'lies' 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. Man holding an "intervene now" sign in Miami, Florida. Three ways Cuba crisis could play out after US indictment of Raúl Castro Cuba's former President Raul Castro (R) and former Vice-President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura attend a May Day rally marking International Workers' Day in Havana on May 1, 2026. Russia and China condemn US over indictment of former Cuban leader Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Rubio said diplomacy "remains our preference with Cuba", but added: "I'm just being honest with you, you know, the likelihood of that happening, given who we're dealing with right now, is not high." He also accused Cuba of being "one of the leading sponsors of terrorism in the entire region", which Rodríguez vehemently denied in a post on X. The Cuban foreign minister criticised Rubio for trying to "instigate a military aggression" and accused the US government of "ruthlessly and systematically" attacking his country. Cuba is suffering from a fuel crisis exacerbated by an effective US oil blockade, while under pressure from the Trump administration to make a deal. Its citizens have experienced extended blackouts and food shortages over the last few months. Rubio said the country had accepted a US offer of $100m (£74.4m) in humanitarian aid. Trump has repeatedly sought to exert pressure on Cuba and has openly discussed toppling its communist regime. Wednesday's indictment of the former Cuban president is seen by some as reminiscent of Trump's seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January. Asked by reporters whether - and how - his government would get Castro to the US to face the charges, Rubio replied: "I'm not going to talk about how we're going to get him here, if we were trying to get him here, why would I say to the media what our plans are about that?" Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who announced the charges in Miami on Wednesday, said the US "expect he will show up here, by his own will or another way". Watch: How Cuban-Americans feel about Raúl Castro's indictment Left, a man in a white shirt speaks to camera. Right, a woman in white shirt points her finger. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said Cuba was a "failed country" and that his administration was trying to help them "on a humanitarian basis". He said Cuban-Americans "want to go back to their country" and help Cuba succeed. "Other presidents have looked at this for 50, 60 years doing something and it looks like I'll be the one that does it, so I would be happy to do it," Trump said. Busch's representatives had said earlier on Thursday that he had been sent to hospital with a severe illness. Tony Carruthers was granted a one-year reprieve from death after his executioners failed to find a vein for lethal injection. Some lawmakers and legal experts say the department has violated federal law with its addendum to the settlement. The DOJ charged the former leader of Cuba with murder and other crimes for his alleged role in the downing of two civilian aircraft in 1996. The proposed Paris-inspired monument in Washington DC is meant to commemorate the US 250th anniversary. The Trump administration has been putting tremendous economic pressure on the island's Communist government. It comes after the US charged Raúl Castro with murder, the latest move putting pressure on the regime. Vanessa Trump said she underwent a medical procedure and asked the public for privacy while she focuses on her health.