- Oscar Elías Biscet
Marco Rubio's Cuban Opportunity
Marco Rubio has numerous challenges vying for his attention as he begins his tenure as U.S. secretary of State. In Latin America alone, he faces a migrant crisis in Mexico, a corrupt dictatorship in Venezuela, and China's rising influence across the region.
We Cubans are fortunate that Rubio has become America's chief diplomat, because he knows the region's challenges and will also prioritize the crisis taking place just 90 miles from U.S. shores in Cuba.
As the son of Cuban immigrants, Rubio is a close observer and vocal critic of Havana's communist regime. During his confirmation hearing, Rubio said Cuba is "literally collapsing."
He's right. My neighbors and I in Havana experience ongoing power outages and long lines for food and basic medications. Many necessary items are simply not available. The situation is even worse in Cuba's rural areas.
Support for the regime is at an all-time low, and Cubans have become increasingly willing to criticize its economic mismanagement and authoritarianism.
More than 1 million Cubans have fled the island in the last four years, most seeking asylum in the U.S. Even high-ranking communist party officials are leaving. A recent Miami Herald investigation found that Cuba's corrupt elites are hoarding billions of dollars, even as Cuba's electrical grids fail and its people go hungry.
So, what can Secretary Rubio and the Trump administration do?
Continue Reading …Marco Rubio's Cuban Opportunity