Marco Rubio Is Reportedly Hoping That Toppling Venezuela's Maduro Will Lead To The Fall Of The Cuban Regime

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has discussed how toppling Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro could lead to the end of the Cuban regime, according to a new report.

The New York Times detailed that Rubio has hinted at the idea, saying in 2019 that a weakened Cuba would be a welcomed "byproduct" should the Venezuelan regime fall. "Anything that's bad for a communist dictatorship is something I support," he told NPR back then.

The outlet also quoted a U.S. official who has been in briefing with Rubio during the first Trump administration, saying he will do "anything he can" to "weaken the regime in Cuba." He has also ordered new sanctions on government officials, activities and businesses since taking office as Secretary of State.

The State Department told the NYT that both regimes are "destabilizing to the entire hemisphere" and the ongoing military pressure campaign in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, which has targeted more than 20 alleged drug boats and killed over 85 people, is seeking to protect Americans from the threat of "poison shipped into our country by terror organizations."

Others interviewed by the outlet claim Rubio's actions are more wishful thinking, noting that Cuba has survived decades of isolation since the fall of the Soviet Union and keeps getting some help from Russia and China.

He has also been criticized by those speaking against actions conducted by the Trump administration. Among them is Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who said earlier this year that Rubio is "secretly pushing for regime change in Venezuela."

Moreover, he said on Sunday that he believes President Donald Trump's "instinct is still against war but he's getting more interested in regime change in Venezuela because of the prodding of the Secretary of State, and others who have aggressively wanted regime change."

He went on to say that regime change "doesn't always work out." "I have no like for Maduro, even wrote a book called 'The Case Against Socialism' about how bad things are in Venezuela," he added, but noted that "you don't know what you get" if the regime is indeed toppled. "People there need to fight for their liberty. It isn't the job of America," he added.