US top diplomat says Cuba 'in a lot of trouble' amid soaring tensions

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Cuba is "in a lot of trouble" amid soaring tensions with the US.

"Cuba's in a lot of trouble, because, unfortunately for them, it's run by a bunch of incompetent communists," he said at a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

"The country has been taken over by this company called GAESA that basically controls 70% of the economy. None of the money in that company goes to help the Cuban people, none of it. So, we'll be talking to them, we'll be working on it. You know, we want something good for the Cuban people, and hopefully there'll be a good outcome there for them," he added.

He was referencing the Grupo de Administracion Empresarial S.A (GAESA), a business conglomerate owned by Cuba's military that has been a central focus of Rubio's criticism.

Cuba has faced severe fuel shortages and widespread power outages since the US imposed an oil embargo on Jan. 30.

Rubio previously sought to deny the existence of an embargo, but an executive order signed by Trump on Jan. 29 explicitly threatens to impose US tariffs on any country "that directly or indirectly sells or otherwise provides any oil to Cuba."

Cuba's foreign minister warned Tuesday against US policies toward the island nation. Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said at a high-level open debate at the UN Security Council on "Upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and strengthening the UN-centered international system," that Washington's actions are undermining international peace and security and amount to an "act of war" through an energy blockade.