Former US President Donald Trump has sparked a fresh international controversy by seemingly endorsing his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to become the next president of Cuba. The suggestion came amidst a series of severe threats directed at the Caribbean nation's communist regime.
Trump's Social Media Endorsement and Threats
On Sunday morning, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to engage with a viral internet rumour. Responding to a user's post which claimed "Marco Rubio will be president of Cuba," Trump simply stated: "Sounds good to me!" The current leader of Cuba is President Miguel Díaz-Canel.
This cryptic endorsement was paired with a direct economic threat. Trump warned the Cuban leadership to strike a deal with the United States "before it's too late," declaring he had halted Venezuela's oil and financial support for Havana. "THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO!" he wrote.
The Internet's 'Viceroy': Rubio's Viral Role
The online reaction to Trump's comment was swift and humorous, continuing a bizarre trend where netizens unofficially "hire" Marco Rubio for any high-profile vacancy. Social media has become flooded with memes photoshopping the Secretary of State into various roles.
In one widely shared image, Rubio is depicted in a lightweight white floral shirt and a hat, with a Cuban cigar in his mouth. Another shows him in a green military-style uniform, eerily reminiscent of the iconic attire worn by former Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
This is not an isolated incident. The internet has recently pictured Rubio as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a replacement for captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and even as the head of Hilton Hotels. Last week, Rubio himself had to publicly deny rumours he would help run the Miami Dolphins American football team.
Geopolitical Tensions and a Warning to Havana
The online jesting belies a serious geopolitical confrontation. Trump's threats follow a dramatic shift in Venezuela, a long-time Cuban ally. Following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro last week, Trump secured an agreement with interim President Delcy Rodriguez to redirect the country's oil exports to the United States, cutting off a vital lifeline for Cuba.
Trump asserted that Cuba had provided "Security Services" for Venezuelan dictators, but claimed most of those Cuban personnel were "DEAD from last weeks U.S.A. attack." Venezuelan officials stated that 32 members of Cuba's military and intelligence service, part of Maduro's security team, were killed "in cold blood" in the US operation.
Secretary Rubio amplified the warning, stating at a press conference: "Suffice it to say, you know, Cuba is a disaster. It's run by incompetent, senile men." He added a pointed message to officials in Havana: "If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I'd be concerned, at least a little bit."
When pressed on ABC's *This Week* about whether the US would now be "running" Venezuela, Rubio spoke of leveraging an oil quarantine to direct the country's future, a stance that earned him the nickname "the Viceroy of Venezuela" from the *Washington Post*.
As the internet continues its speculative game of assigning new jobs to Marco Rubio, the underlying message from the Trump administration to Cuba's leadership remains starkly serious and threatens to upend decades of economic and political relations in the region.
