Cuba has ridiculed an unprecedentedly public appeal by the United States for Cuban citizens to cooperate with the CIA, accusing Washington of resorting to advertising-style recruitment tactics as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on the communist-run island.

The unusually sharp response came from Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío on Friday, 23 October, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio openly encouraged Cubans seeking political change to establish discreet contact with the American intelligence agency.

“Now the United States is resorting to public recruitment for the CIA,” Fernández de Cossío wrote on X.

“There must be a great deal of desperation or misery within the agency for it to be forced to sell its services like a tube of toothpaste,” he added.

The comments, reported by AFP, reflect the increasingly hostile rhetoric between Havana and Washington at a time when Cuba is experiencing one of its most severe economic and energy crises in decades

🚨 BREAKING — IT’S HAPPENING: Secretary of State Marco Rubio just publicly called on Cubans to work with the CIA to BRING DOWN the communist regime THE REGIME IS SWEATING NOW…🔥 "To those who seek to create positive change in Cuba – now is the time… seize this opportunity to create the change you desire through a discrete partnership with the CIA." This comes after Trump confirmed on stage Cuba night be next and Marco would have a role! 👀 For more than 65 years, the Castro regime has delivered nothing but poverty, blackouts and repression, while the ruling commies live in LUXURY A sitting Secretary of State openly inviting a regime’s own people to team up with the CIA is almost unheard of. IT IS TIME! 🇨🇺🇺🇸

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 23, 2026

Rubio’s extraordinary appeal and the CIA’s recruitment video

The Cuban official was responding to a message published by Rubio, who urged citizens dissatisfied with Cuba’s government to act on what he described as an opportunity to bring about political change.

“To those who seek to create positive change in Cuba, now is the time,” Rubio wrote on X.

To those who seek to create positive change in Cuba – now is the time. The disappointment of failed promises, corruption, and the privileged lives of only a few; seize this opportunity to create the change you desire through a discrete partnership with the CIA.

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) October 23, 2026

Referring to what he described as broken promises, corruption and privileges enjoyed by a small section of Cuban society, the secretary of state encouraged Cubans to pursue the changes they wanted through a discreet partnership with the CIA.

The intelligence agency subsequently published a Spanish-language video outlining ways in which individuals could make contact and provide information. It advised prospective sources to approach an official US facility in person if they could do so safely or use protected online communications.

The public nature of the appeal is particularly striking given the long history of covert American intelligence operations involving Cuba. Neither Rubio nor the CIA publicly specified what information they were seeking or how any potential cooperation might relate to Washington’s broader policy towards Havana.

Trump raises the prospect of further action against Cuba

The confrontation followed remarks by President Donald Trump at a political rally in Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday, where he suggested that Cuba could become a focus of US attention following American operations involving Iran.

Trump said Washington would turn its attention to Cuba on its return from Iran, before suggesting that Rubio could be sent to conclude an agreement.

Trump: "We’ll take care of Cuba on our way back from Iran … those beautiful ships, they’ll pass Cuba. We’ll have one of them stop about 50 yards off the coast. They’ll raise up their hands, and then we’re gonna send Marco Rubio in." https://t.co/BLfMmzHtFq

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 23, 2026

The president’s remarks added to uncertainty about the administration’s intentions towards Havana. Although Trump has previously suggested that an agreement with Cuba could be reached without military intervention, he has also repeatedly raised the possibility of stronger action.

Rubio, who has played a central role in shaping the administration’s Cuba policy, has described the island’s government as a national security threat because of its relationships with US adversaries.

American and Cuban officials have held talks, but Washington has continued imposing sanctions while expressing dissatisfaction with the progress of negotiations.

Sanctions, fuel restrictions and an economy under severe strain

The CIA controversy comes against the backdrop of Washington’s campaign to increase economic pressure on Cuba, including restrictions on oil supplies that have aggravated the island’s already serious energy crisis.

Following the US military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January 2026, the Trump administration moved to restrict Cuba’s access to Venezuelan oil, a crucial source of energy for the island for more than two decades.

Washington subsequently expanded sanctions against Cuban officials and state-owned companies, targeting sectors including construction, mining and energy.

In August, the United States imposed restrictions on additional Cuban entities, while in October American authorities announced the seizure of 90 shipments of biodiesel destined for Cuba, worth approximately $3 million.

Cuban officials have condemned the restrictions as an attempt to inflict economic hardship on the population, while the Trump administration argues that its measures are intended to weaken the government’s ability to finance repression and other activities Washington considers hostile.

The effects are being felt across the island. Prolonged blackouts, fuel shortages, inflation and difficulties obtaining food and essential supplies have disrupted daily life, with interruptions to schooling, public services and water supplies.

According to Reuters reporting on 23 October, even Cuba’s special education schools have been forced to reduce classroom hours because of fuel shortages and electricity failures.

Another confrontation looms at the United Nations

The dispute over CIA recruitment also comes just days before a significant diplomatic confrontation at the United Nations.

The UN General Assembly is scheduled to vote on 27 and 28 October on a resolution calling for an end to the longstanding US economic embargo against Cuba.

Similar resolutions have attracted overwhelming international support for decades, although they are not legally binding and cannot themselves force Washington to lift its restrictions.

On 19 October, the two countries exchanged accusations at the United Nations after US Ambassador Mike Waltz hosted an event featuring Cuban dissidents and former political prisoners, who described political repression and human rights abuses on the island.

Cuba’s ambassador, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, accused Washington of imposing collective punishment through its sanctions and economic restrictions.

Two days later, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez alleged that American officials were pressuring other countries to vote against the resolution, including through threats of economic and diplomatic repercussions. The allegations were not independently established, and the US State Department did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Washington, meanwhile, has urged countries to reject the resolution, arguing that it overlooks the Cuban government’s record on political freedoms and human rights.

A relationship shaped by decades of confrontation

The latest dispute has particular historical significance because of the CIA’s longstanding involvement in American policy towards Cuba.

Following Fidel Castro’s revolution in 1959, relations between Washington and Havana deteriorated rapidly, culminating in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961, when Cuban exiles backed by the CIA attempted to overthrow Castro’s government.

The United States subsequently maintained a policy of economic isolation, while the two countries remained adversaries throughout the Cold War.

Although diplomatic relations were restored in 2015 under President Barack Obama, major differences over sanctions, political freedoms, security and the Cuban government’s international alliances remained unresolved.

The renewed focus on intelligence gathering and potential political change now places those longstanding tensions at the centre of the Trump administration’s policy.

For Havana, Rubio’s appeal represents another example of Washington attempting to interfere in Cuba’s internal affairs. The US administration, by contrast, presents its approach as support for Cubans seeking political and economic freedoms.

With new sanctions in place, diplomatic relations increasingly strained and the annual UN vote approaching, the public recruitment appeal has opened another front in a confrontation that extends well beyond the intelligence services.