Overview
- Axios reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has held off‑channel talks with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, while the State Department declined to discuss the matter.
- A senior U.S. official said the government’s position is that “the regime has to go,” and sources say Rubio has not engaged President Miguel Díaz‑Canel or other top officials.
- U.S. maritime and trade pressure has tightened following the January capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, worsening fuel shortages and forcing service cutbacks across Cuba.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Cuba must make “very dramatic changes very soon,” while President Trump has not announced a final plan for next steps.
- Havana denies high‑level talks with Washington, and Mexico says it is exploring a mediation role while continuing humanitarian aid shipments to the island.