Cuba's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, responded with sarcasm on Saturday to a public call made by the CIA and Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging Cuban citizens to secretly collaborate with the U.S. intelligence agency.
"Now the U.S. resorts to public CIA recruitments. There must be a lot of desperation or poverty within the agency if they have to sell their offers like toothpaste," the diplomat wrote on his verified account on X.
The trigger was a message posted by Rubio on Friday on his official account, aimed at those who seek to "create positive change in Cuba," urging them to seize "the moment" to establish a "discreet partnership with the CIA."
Hours later, the official CIA account made a direct call in Spanish that was almost identical to Rubio's, accompanied by a nearly two-minute video and an Instagram guide with operational security instructions: using VPNs with servers outside Cuba, browsing in incognito mode, creating disposable emails, and deleting history after contact.
Unprecedented Public Call from U.S. Authorities
Analysts have described this coordinated action between the State Department and the CIA as unprecedented due to its public nature, marking the first time a Secretary of State openly calls for informant recruitment in a foreign country through social media platforms.
But Fernández de Cossío didn't stop at irony on X. In a second post on Facebook, the deputy minister drew a historical parallel with the U.S. Senate's Church Committee from the 1970s, which documented CIA operations that included assassination plans, torture, coups, and connections with organized crime.
"The CIA is a state terrorism organization. Its dirty history is well-documented even with just the publicly known information," the regime official expressed.
Increasing U.S. Pressure on Cuba
This call comes amidst a continued escalation of U.S. pressure on Cuba throughout 2026. In August, the New York Times revealed the creation of a secret CIA task force dedicated exclusively to Cuba, elevated to "Priority 1" alongside China, Iran, and Russia, with the goal of exploiting divisions within the regime's political elite.
On October 5, Rubio had already warned the regime's armed apparatus that those who believe they can withstand until the end of the Trump administration "will learn the hard way."
The day before the CIA's call, President Donald Trump held a rally in Fort Myers, Florida, where he joked about sending military ships 50 yards off Cuba's coast and announced that he would send Rubio to "seal the deal."
The regime reacted in unison. Díaz-Canel denounced on X that the United States "does not give up its domination ambitions over Cuba," while Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla issued a statement mixing tourism and threat: "Our coasts have beautiful beaches, but also treacherous rocks."
Across the spectrum, Cuban-American Congressman Carlos A. Giménez praised the initiative with a statement that captures the sentiment among sectors of the Cuban community in Florida: "The regime in Havana must be consigned to the trash heap of history, and I know that day is closer than ever."
FAQs on CIA's Open Call to Cubans
What was the CIA's public message to Cubans?
The CIA issued a direct call in Spanish, encouraging Cubans to form a discreet partnership with the agency to promote positive change in Cuba, providing operational security guidelines through social media.
How did Cuban officials react to the CIA's recruitment call?
Cuban officials, including Carlos Fernández de Cossío, mocked the recruitment call, labeling the CIA as a state terrorism organization with a well-documented dirty history.
Why is the CIA focusing on Cuba?
The CIA has prioritized Cuba as "Priority 1," aiming to exploit divisions within the country's political elite amidst heightened U.S. pressure on the island nation.