Rubio denies U.S. seeking to oust Cuba President

Marco Rubio denies U.S. efforts to oust Cuba's President, calling a New York Times article "fake" and misleading.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday (March 17, 2026) denied a report that U.S. officials have urged Cuba to oust its President, Miguel Diaz-Canel.

Also Read | Trump says he can do ‘anything’ he wants with Cuba

In a late-night post on X, Mr. Rubio said that the article by The New York Times was "fake" and was among media reports that relied on "charlatans and liars claiming to be in the know" as sources.

The newspaper reported Monday (March 16) that officials under President Donald Trump have asked Cuba to remove the president but have not pushed for a complete toppling of the communist government.

Mr. Rubio did not say if he was denying the whole article or particular parts of it.

The newspaper said that U.S. officials saw Mr. Diaz-Canel as a hardliner who would not institute change, but that the United States had not gone so far as to issue an ultimatum for his removal.