# Marco Rubio Says Cuba Has a ‘Golden Opportunity’ for Change, Offers U.S. Help

**Date:** 09/26/2026

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Miami-born son of Cuban immigrants, said on September 23, 2026, that Cuba has “a golden opportunity to place itself on an irreversible path towards a better future,” adding that Washington is “prepared to be helpful in that regard if they’re open to it.” He spoke to reporters at New York’s Palace Hotel on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, according to a State Department transcript and reporting by the Miami Herald and Al Jazeera.

Rubio said that path involves “both political and economic freedom” and cautioned that change will take time: “You don’t reverse 60-something years of mismanagement, corruption, and incompetence in six months.” He said he was hopeful but “not confident” that Cuba’s leaders would seize the moment, and that there are people in Havana he believes Washington could work with, while ruling out individuals he said have hands “stained in blood.” On business, he noted that the Helms-Burton Act restricts U.S. companies and said that “no one is going to invest in Cuba under their current governance model.” Asked about possible military action, he said a president has both the power and the obligation to address threats to national security, but that the administration’s preference is a “negotiated” and political path, adding that he was “certainly not going to threaten anything.”

The remarks came a day after President Donald Trump told the General Assembly that Rubio is handling negotiations with Havana, and six days after the State Department announced sanctions on 11 Cuban entities and officials tied to the military and nickel sectors on September 17.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez told NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell that there have been “some episodes of conversations” between officials of both governments, without saying who took part. He reiterated Cuba’s “willingness to continue with those in the future, despite the lack of results,” which he attributed to “the lack of understanding and the restrictive attitude on the part of the U.S.”