The Cuban Foreign Ministry has said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's attempt to subjugate the Cubans is pointless, while American media outlets CBS News and Axios report a parallel development in Washington's relations with Venezuela. According to CBS News, the Pentagon's deputy head of intelligence visited Caracas to meet with the Venezuelan leadership, and Axios writes that Donald Trump is considering a first meeting with Delcy Rodriguez during the UN General Assembly in New York.
Havana attacks Rubio
According to the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Marco Rubio's attempts to impose Washington's will on the Cubans are doomed to failure. The statement comes against the backdrop of ongoing tensions between the US and Cuba and the hard line of the Donald Trump administration towards Havana, described in recent days in materials by CBS News and Reuters.
The Cuban side traditionally associates American pressure with the sanctions policy against the island, and Rubio himself, who is one of the most critical figures of the Cuban leadership in Washington, is often cited by Havana as a symbol of the hard line towards Cuba.
CBS: meeting of a high-ranking US representative with the Venezuelan leadership
CBS News reported that a high-ranking Pentagon intelligence representative was in Venezuela and spoke with representatives of the local leadership. The media outlet did not reveal all the details of the visit, but presented it as part of a broader American realignment of relations with Caracas.
In recent months, CBS News has already written about the intensification of American intelligence contacts with Venezuelan officials, including the visit of CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Caracas earlier this year. This suggests that Washington is seeking channels for direct political dialogue with the Venezuelan authorities despite the public tension between the two countries.
Axios: Trump may meet with Delcy Rodriguez
Axios reported that Donald Trump is planning a first meeting with Delcy Rodriguez during the sessions of the UN General Assembly in New York. According to the publication, the conversation could take place as early as next week, if the schedules of the American president and the Venezuelan leader allow it.
According to Axios, the possible meeting would be a sign of further rapprochement between Washington and Caracas, although it also carries a serious political risk for the Trump administration due to domestic political reactions in the United States, especially among the Venezuelan community in Florida.
The media outlet specifies that Trump is already planning meetings with Gulf leaders in New York amid discussions about the war with Iran, and a conversation with Rodriguez could be added to his busy schedule around the UN General Assembly.
The broader background: Cuba and Venezuela on the US agenda
The reports about Cuba and Venezuela come at a time when the Trump administration is showing both pressure and readiness for direct contacts with the leftist leadership in the region. For Havana, this means continued confrontation, and for Caracas — possibility of new political and diplomatic deals, although no officially confirmed details yet.
At the moment, the individual publications of CBS News, Axios and the Cuban Foreign Ministry have been confirmed, but not all the details about possible future meetings and agreements.
Sources: Cuban Foreign Ministry, CBS News, Axios, Reuters