Image Credits: Rubio calls Cuba an ‘espionage superpower,’ cites new U.S. report on decades of intelligence operations. AI-generated illustration created by Open Chronicle using ChatGPT (OpenAI). August 2026. This image is illustrative and does not depict a real-world scene.
By Open Chronicle with agencies
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has accused Cuba of conducting one of the most extensive espionage campaigns ever directed against the United States, describing the communist government as an “espionage superpower” following the release of a new State Department report detailing decades of alleged intelligence and influence operations.
The report, titled Cuba: The Capital of 21st Century Communism, alleges that Havana spent nearly seven decades building covert networks inside the United States through intelligence officers, ideological influence, activist organizations and other proxy networks. According to the State Department, the campaign reached into American political institutions and sought to undermine U.S. national security through espionage, infiltration and long-term influence efforts.
Rubio said the document is intended to expose what he described as the full history of Cuban espionage and subversion against the United States.
“For more than six decades, the Cuban regime has been the leading sponsor of radical leftism and Third Worldism in the United States,” Rubio wrote on social media, arguing that Americans deserve to understand the scale of Havana’s alleged activities.
According to the State Department, Cuba developed an unconventional strategy centered on intelligence gathering, covert influence, sabotage and proxy organizations rather than conventional military confrontation. The report claims these efforts enabled Cuban intelligence to penetrate sensitive areas of the U.S. government while cultivating political and activist networks over several decades.
The publication forms part of the Trump administration’s broader campaign to increase pressure on Havana. Washington has recently expanded sanctions against Cuba and repeatedly described the island as a growing national security concern because of its alleged intelligence activities and its relationships with countries including Russia, China and Iran.
The allegations have been rejected by Cuban officials.
Havana has consistently denied U.S. accusations of espionage and subversive activity, arguing that Washington is using such claims to justify tougher sanctions and continued political pressure on the communist government.
The State Department’s report has also attracted attention because of its broader political assertions, including claims that Cuba supported ideological movements and organizations within the United States over many years. Those claims have not been independently verified and remain disputed.
The release of the report is expected to further strain relations between Washington and Havana, which remain at one of their lowest points in decades amid growing geopolitical tensions in the Western Hemisphere.