US Government Refutes Claims of Trying to Remove Cuba's Leader

Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, has publicly dismissed claims that the United States is seeking the ouster of Miguel Díaz-Canel, President of Cuba.

In a recent post on X, Rubio labeled a New York Times article as "fake news," criticizing the publication for citing unreliable sources he described as "charlatans and liars."

The New York Times had reported that some officials from the Trump administration had encouraged Cuba to remove Díaz-Canel but did not explicitly call for the overthrow of the existing communist regime in Cuba.

Rubio did not specify whether his rejection pertained to the entire report or just specific portions.

In his post, Rubio claimed, "The reason so many in US media keep putting out fake stories like this one is because they continue to rely on charlatans & liars claiming to be in the know as their sources".

The article indicated that US officials regard Díaz-Canel as a staunch hardliner and doubt his willingness to enforce significant reforms. However, no formal demands for his removal have been made by Washington.

As a Cuban-American who previously served as a senator from Miami, Rubio has consistently advocated against the communist governance established in Cuba after Fidel Castro's revolution.

Moreover, he has urged that Cuba must undertake more "dramatic" changes beyond its recent laws permitting overseas Cubans to invest and operate businesses locally, as the nation grapples with severe economic difficulties and widespread power outages.

Under the Trump administration, stringent measures have been imposed on Cuba, including sanctions on oil supplies, exacerbating the nation's energy crises and economic struggles.

Trump has also alluded to potential negotiations with Cuba while occasionally boasting about America’s influence, labeling the island as vulnerable.

Despite the heightened pressure, analysts suggest that the US strategy towards Cuba, akin to its policies towards Venezuela and Iran, appears to prioritize inducing compliance rather than pursuing a direct regime change.