Rubio Holds ‘secret’ Talks With Grandson Of Cuba’s Dictator As Trump Tries To Bring Regime Change: Report

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is reportedly holding concealed discussions pinch nan grandson of Raúl Castro, nan de facto dictator of Cuba, arsenic nan United States seeks to unit nan state into authorities change.

The backchannel discussions betwixt Rubio and 41-year-old Raúl Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, first reported by Axios, bespeak that nan U.S. is looking to power nan elder Castro and his soul circle into rapprochement pinch nan U.S. Despite being 94 years old, nan management still spot nan revolutionary arsenic nan island’s existent “decision-maker,” nan outlet says.

"Our position — nan U.S. government's position — is nan authorities has to go. But what precisely that looks for illustration is up to [President Trump], and he has yet to decide. Rubio is still successful talks pinch nan grandson,” a elder Trump management charismatic told Axios.

It comes arsenic Cuba faces a dire power crisis, having had its entree to subsidized lipid from Venezuela trim disconnected since nan U.S. captured leder Nicolás Maduro in January. The state is facing a increasing humanitarian crisis pinch nutrient scarce, schools closed, hospitals reducing service, trash piling up, fights incapable to return off, and adjacent full acheronian astatine night.

President Donald Trump has accused Cuba of harboring enemies and warned friends that those who supply aliases waste lipid to Cuba will look steep tariffs – that’s near Mexico, 1 of nan fewer countries that sold lipid to Cuba, successful a bind.

The Independent has asked nan State Department for comment.

The younger Castro, known arsenic “El Cangrejo” aliases “The Crab,” has had friends conversations astir nan “future” of Cuba pinch Rubio, a elder Trump management charismatic told Axios.

Rubio, nan boy of Cuban immigrants who fled nan land state during Fidel Castro’s reign, is simply a proponent of authorities alteration successful Cuba.

“It is important for nan group of Cuba to person much freedom. Not conscionable governmental state but economical freedom,” Rubio said this month.

“And that’s what this authorities is not consenting to springiness them because they’re acrophobic if nan group of Cuba tin supply for themselves, they suffer power complete them, they suffer powerfulness complete them…It has to happen,” Rubio added.

While Raúl Castro is technically nary longer formally successful complaint of Cuba, he still holds a spot successful nan National Assembly and is considered to person a ample influence. The existent President of Cuba is Miguel Díaz-Canel – though Rubio has not spoken pinch him.

But nan management is reportedly looking for a caller leader, akin to Delcy Rodriguez successful Venezuela. Before Maduro was seized, Rubio and different management officials were successful interaction pinch elites successful Venezuela, conscionable arsenic they are doing now successful Cuba, according to Axios.

"I wouldn't telephone these 'negotiations' arsenic overmuch arsenic 'discussions' astir nan future," nan elder Trump charismatic told Axios.

Trump officials person spoken pinch different young Cuban leaders, but Raúl Guillermo Rodriguez Castro is considered a highly influential fig because he is adjacent to his grandfather, having served arsenic nan erstwhile leader’s main bodyguard, and has connections to nan subject and businesses.

But influencing authorities alteration successful Cuba is simply a daunting task, fixed nan U.S.’s decades-long rocky history pinch nan country. Relations were somewhat normalized nether nan Obama administration, but restrictions were reimplemented nether nan first Trump administration.