Cuba mocks US appeal for CIA informants as Rubio urges cooperation

Cuba ridiculed a public US appeal for Cuban citizens to cooperate with the CIA, with Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío accusing Washington of desperation and comparing the recruitment pitch to selling a service "like a tube of toothpaste." The mockery came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Cubans seeking political change to pursue a "discreet partnership with the CIA," and the agency released a Spanish-language video outlining contact methods. The appeal follows President Donald Trump's Friday remarks suggesting Cuba could be Washington's next focus after operations involving Iran. The dispute occurs amid escalating US sanctions and fuel restrictions that have deepened Cuba's severe economic and energy crisis, with blackouts and shortages disrupting daily life. It also precedes a UN General Assembly vote on October 27-28 on a resolution calling for an end to the US embargo, a measure that has historically drawn overwhelming international support.