‘This is his legacy’: Marco Rubio nears goal of toppling Cuba’s government

Key Points:

• Marco Rubio, son of Cuban immigrants and serving as both secretary of state and national security adviser, is leading the Trump administration’s intensified campaign to unseat Cuba’s 67-year-old communist government, marking a significant moment in his political career.
• The administration has increased military presence near Cuba, including the deployment of the aircraft carrier Nimitz, and is building a case that Cuba poses a national security threat, citing intelligence about Cuba’s acquisition of military drones and hosting Russian and Chinese intelligence.
• Rubio has framed Cuba as an imminent threat, leveraging his influence to push a hardline policy that aligns with Trump’s growing willingness to support military interventions abroad, contrasting with the administration’s earlier "America First" stance.
• Critics, including some Democrats, warn that the intelligence on Cuba may be used as a pretext for military action, while experts note that Rubio’s current role represents an unprecedented opportunity for a Cuban-American to shape US policy toward Latin America.
• The US embargo and sanctions have severely impacted Cuba’s economy and infrastructure, causing widespread blackouts and shortages, raising concerns that even without military intervention, the pressure could force the Cuban government to collapse without a clear plan for what follows.