Rubio holding secret talks with Raul Castro’s grandson over Cuba’s future: report

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reportedly been holding secret talks with the grandson of Raul Castro, the former President of Cuba. 

The talks between Rubio and Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro are bypassing official Cuban government channels, Axios reported. 

"Our position — the U.S. government's position — is the regime has to go," a senior official told the news outlet. "But what exactly that looks like is up to [President Trump] and he has yet to decide. Rubio is still in talks with the grandson."

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"I wouldn't call these 'negotiations' as much as 'discussions' about the future," the official added.

Earlier this month, Cuban despot Miguel Díaz-Canel warned his country is "close to failing" as the U.S. shuts off commercial valves vital to its survival, such as fuel and food, followed by nearly 70 years of one-party communist rule.

Cuba's power grid is failing, hospitals are short of necessary supplies and garbage has piled up on the streets. 

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The Trump administration has ratcheted up pressure on the communist-run island in recent weeks, following the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a Cuban ally. The administration has accused Havana of cozying up to U.S. adversaries and terrorist groups. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department. The White House referred Fox News Digital to press secretary Karoline Leavitt's remarks on Tuesday, in which she said Havana needs to make serious changes. 

"They are a regime that is falling," she said. "Their country is collapsing, and that's why we believe it's in their best interest to make very dramatic changes very soon. And we'll see what they decide to do."