Rubio Meets Pope Leo at Vatican

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived at the Vatican on Thursday to meet with Pope Leo in an effort to mend ties strained by critical comments from President Trump. The session follows tensions between the White House and the Vatican and occurs as the administration intensifies pressure on Cuba through fresh sanctions.

Rubio's visit was confirmed by multiple outlets on May 7, 2026. He is expected to discuss Cuba policy with the pontiff after a breakdown in relations between the Vatican and the White House. The secretary of state has taken a leading role in articulating the administration's stance toward Havana.

On May 1 the White House announced a new round of sanctions targeting entities and individuals complicit in alleged corruption and rights violations by the Cuban government and its security apparatus. The statement accused Cuba of aligning itself with countries and malign actors hostile to the United States and of hosting foreign adversary facilities focused on targeting sensitive national security information.

Rubio, the son of Cuban exiles, described Cuba as a "failed state" run by "incompetent communists" during a White House briefing this week. He stated that the island's economic model does not work and that its leaders cannot fix it, adding that the situation 90 miles from U.S. shores is an unacceptable status quo because it serves as friendly territory for adversaries.

President Trump has repeatedly signaled interest in deeper action against Cuba. " Trump had earlier told Fox News "Cuba’s next" following U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran, saying the communist dictatorship's days were numbered.

" He wrote that the U.S. government was responding with new "illegal and abusive unilateral coercive measures" and accused Washington of decades of "economic warfare" against the island. " The sanctions follow U.S. actions in Venezuela that severed Cuba's access to imported fuel, according to foreign policy analyst Dr.

Izabela Pereira Watts. The resulting shortages have led to cancelled flights, suspended schools and hospitals struggling to provide basic emergency care. Watts wrote that Washington has already "severed the island’s jugular" through these measures. Havana has responded by saying it is preparing in case it must move to a state of war.

It remains unclear what form any potential U.S. military operation in Cuba would take, with no plans briefed to the media.

During a May 5 White House press briefing while filling in for press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Rubio used rap lyrics to describe Iranian leaders and projected calm on the conclusion of Operation Epic Fury. He explained that reopening the Strait of Hormuz matters for the global economy and warned against allowing rogue states to control international shipping lanes.

" He added that the Trump administration is only complying with elements of it to maintain good relations with Congress. His performance drew immediate speculation about his prospects for higher office.

Separately, the U.S.

State Department cancelled tourist visas for more than half the board members of Costa Rica’s leading newspaper La Nación on May 2. ” During Chaves’s 2022 campaign the newspaper reported on allegations of sexual harassment that had forced him from his World Bank job and on allegations of illegal campaign financing, which he denied.

Chaves has since withdrawn a sanitation permit from the paper’s parent company and closed Costa Rica’s embassy in Havana while agreeing to accept deported migrants from the U.S. >"The cynical and hypocritical thing about it is that the US has, for decades, tried to devastate the country by imposing an economic warfare.

" — Bruno Rodriguez, Cuban Foreign Minister (The Independent) >"[Cuba’s] economic model doesn’t work. And the people who are in charge can’t fix it. And the reason that I can’t fix it is not just because they’re communists.