Recently reported by Fox News on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted a stark contrast in U.S. foreign policy toward the Caribbean on Wednesday, noting successful oversight of Venezuelan oil while warning that a leadership crisis in Cuba poses a direct threat to American interests.
Since the beginning of the year, the administration has overseen a massive influx of Venezuelan energy resources into the U.S. market. Rubio noted that over 10 million barrels of oil have been delivered since January 3, but under a new, strict transparency model designed to prevent corruption.
“The money is going to an account in the United States controlled and monitored by Treasury, audited and for the first time ever the money is not being stolen,” Rubio stated during a recent appearance on Fox News. “It’s going to the benefit of the Venezuelan people.”
While the administration sees progress in the Venezuelan transition, the Secretary painted a much bleaker picture of the situation in Cuba. Rubio criticized the island’s leadership as “incompetent communists” who have allowed the economy to be monopolized by a single entity that controls 70% of the nation’s wealth, leaving the Cuban people in poverty.
The Secretary emphasized that the collapse of the Cuban state is not just a humanitarian issue, but a primary concern for the White House due to its geographic proximity to the Florida coast.
“Having a failed state 90 miles from our shores is a threat to the national security of the United States,” Rubio warned. “We want something good for the Cuban people and hopefully there will be a good outcome for them. There needs to be.”
As the administration continues to engage in regional stabilization efforts, Rubio signaled that the U.S. will remain proactive in ensuring that foreign adversaries do not exploit the instability of failed states so close to American borders.