Rubio: Cuba will be on irreversible path to change before 2028

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio believes Cuba will embark on an "irreversible path" toward a significantly different future before the end of the current U.S. administration. He shared these insights during a recent podcast appearance, focusing on U.S. foreign policy priorities, particularly concerning the Caribbean island.

Rubio cautioned that deep structural changes in Cuba's political direction will not happen overnight. "You can't have something established for 70 years, that takes root, and then think that overnight you're just going to rip everything out and put something completely new in the ground," he explained. He likened the necessary transformation process to that of Eastern European nations following the collapse of the Soviet Union, noting it took them three to five years to "truly become what we know them to be today."

Poland was cited as a potential model for Cuba's reforms. Rubio stressed that while he has a personal connection to Cuba, his primary objective is to ensure U.S. national security. However, he stated that fostering democracy in the Caribbean aligns with his administration's goals. "I remind people, at the end of the day, I work for the United States of America; you know, I care about Cuba, obviously I have a personal connection to it, but I don't work for Cuba, I work for the United States," he declared.