Secretary of State Marco Rubio touched down in the Caribbean nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis on Wednesday to meet with regional leaders expressing alarm over Cuba’s worsening conditions and potential regional fallout.
The discussions come as the Trump administration has cut off oil deliveries to Cuba, intensifying pressure on the island nation following the January 3 removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who had been a crucial Cuban supporter.
During his visit, Rubio participated in a private session with CARICOM, the 15-member Caribbean organization plus five associate members, and scheduled individual meetings with regional officials to address migration control and anti-drug trafficking efforts.
The Secretary’s Caribbean trip followed his attendance at the State of the Union address, where President Trump declared he was “restoring American security and dominance in the Western Hemisphere” and highlighted the military operation that captured Maduro while eliminating Cuban forces protecting him.
The administration has warned of potential tariff increases against countries that supply energy to Cuba, while encouraging Cuban leadership to negotiate an agreement that could prevent further humanitarian deterioration.
Prior to Rubio’s visit, Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged CARICOM to coordinate a unified response to Cuba’s crisis. Though Cuba isn’t a CARICOM member, it maintains relationships with the organization and has historically provided medical professionals and educators to neighboring nations. The U.S. is also pressuring countries to end participation in Cuba’s medical exchange program, which generates revenue for the Cuban government.
“Humanitarian suffering serves no one. Apart from our fraternal care and solidarity with the Cuban people, it must be clear that a prolonged crisis in Cuba will not remain confined to Cuba. It will affect migration, security and economic security across the Caribbean basin,” Holness stated Tuesday, advocating for “constructive dialogue between Cuba and the United States aimed at de-escalation, reform and stability.”
Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew, hosting the gathering, emphasized CARICOM’s potential role as a mediator in Cuba’s future. “A destabilized Cuba will destabilize all of us,” Drew warned.
