Politics · October 24, 2026
Rubio calls for Cubans to partner with CIA
Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a public appeal to Cuban citizens on October 23, 2026, urging those seeking political change to form a partnership with the CIA. His comments, posted on social media, coincide with remarks from President Trump suggesting potential U.S. military presence near Cuba following the conclusion of conflict in Iran. Rubio framed the opportunity as a response to corruption and failed promises by the Cuban government. While the post encouraged collaboration with U.S. intelligence, it did not provide specific instructions for how citizens should initiate contact.
Read the original coverage
- Washington ExaminerMBFC: Right-Center
Rubio calls for Cubans to partner with CIA
Read at Washington Examiner ↗ - The GuardianMBFC: Left-Center
Rubio tells Cubans ‘now is the time’ to act to see political change
Read at The Guardian ↗ - Just the NewsMBFC: Far Right
After Trump floats military option, Rubio urges Cubans seeking change to work discreetly with CIA
Read at Just the News ↗
Reported across the spectrum
- Marco Rubio called for Cubans seeking political change to partner with the CIA.
- The call for partnership was made via a post on the social media platform X.
- Rubio cited corruption, failed promises, and the privileged lives of a few as reasons for seeking change.
- The announcement occurred shortly after President Trump mentioned the possibility of U.S. warships intervening or stopping over in Cuba.
- Rubio used the word 'discrete' in his post, which sources interpreted as a likely typo for 'discreet'.
Reported by only some outlets
- The CIA has previously used video advertisements to recruit spies in Russia and China.
- Trump suggested that Rubio would be sent in to finalize an agreement with Cuba for a peaceful resolution.
- Rubio has previously referred to Cuba as a 'failed state'.
- The FBI has also used social media for recruitment under previous administrations.
Left-leaning outlets tend to emphasize…
characterize Rubio's call as a direct reaction to Trump's military rhetoric and highlight his linguistic error to suggest a lack of professionalism or clarity in diplomatic communications.
Right-leaning outlets tend to emphasize…
contextualize the appeal as part of a broader, established intelligence recruitment strategy against adversarial regimes and emphasize the goal of achieving a peaceful resolution through internal change.
Where coverage diverges
Coverage diverges along left/right lines — see Framing tab for specifics.
About these outlets
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