Cuba’s crisis deepens. Caribbean leaders warn of instability. Rubio arrives with pressure — and questions follow.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Caribbean leaders on Wednesday amid rising regional anxiety over Washington’s renewed pressure on Cuba.
Rubio, a longtime critic of Havana’s communist government, joined the CARICOM summit in Saint Kitts and Nevis as the Trump administration escalates its Western Hemisphere strategy. His visit follows US actions in Venezuela that have disrupted oil shipments to Cuba, worsening fuel shortages and rolling blackouts on the island.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness warned that further deterioration in Cuba could destabilize the wider Caribbean and fuel migration — a key concern for President Donald Trump.
“Humanitarian suffering serves no one,” Holness said, urging dialogue between Washington and Havana to promote “de-escalation, reform and stability.”
Summit host Terrance Drew, prime minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, echoed the concern, saying a destabilized Cuba would affect the entire region. He cited worsening food shortages and power outages described by contacts on the island.
The United States has maintained sanctions on Cuba for decades. Under Trump, Washington has signaled readiness to intensify measures, including potential penalties for countries trading oil with Havana. However, some tougher proposals — such as restricting remittances — have not yet been enacted.
Rubio’s agenda also includes sustaining cooperation on Haiti and Venezuela. Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar openly backed US intervention in Venezuela, crediting Washington’s actions with curbing narcotics trafficking and reducing violence in her country.
But divisions were visible. While some leaders called for humanitarian relief for Cuba, others criticized regional silence over authoritarian governance in Caracas and Havana.
For Caribbean states, the balancing act is delicate: maintaining close ties with Washington while avoiding instability in neighboring Cuba. For Rubio, the summit is a test of how far US pressure can go without fracturing regional support.
