The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said during a conversation with the press this Friday (27), in Paris after the G7 meeting, that “perhaps now there is an opportunity” for political change in Cuba. The statement was made when commenting on the economic and political scenario of the communist island.
“Cuba’s economy needs to change, and this cannot happen without a change in the system [político]. It’s that simple,” said Rubio. According to him, economic and political changes go hand in hand and are necessary for the country to have growth prospects.
According to the secretary, there is no disagreement within President Donald Trump’s government on this topic. Asked about the possibility of a purely economic agreement with the Cuban communist regime, Rubio ruled out this hypothesis and stated that the country’s current political model makes investment unfeasible.
“Who is going to invest billions of dollars in an incompetently managed communist country?” he declared.
Rubio said the energy crisis and blackouts faced by Cuba are linked to the lack of modernization of the country’s infrastructure. He stated that Cuba operates with equipment from the 1950s and 1960s that has not been properly maintained. The communist regime blames US sanctions daily for chaos in the energy sector.
According to the secretary, the current situation in Cuba is a direct result of the decisions of the communist regime. Rubio stated that Cubans find better opportunities outside the country and that this highlights structural flaws in the current political model. For Rubio, a change of government in the country, combined with economic reforms, is “the only way” for Cuba to achieve a more stable future.
