Rubio begins talks with Caribbean leaders amid Cuba worries

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in the Caribbean on Wednesday and began talks with leaders in the region who are warning that a growing humanitarian crisis in Cuba could destabilize their region.

The Trump administration is blocking off oil shipments to Cuba, ratcheting up the pressure on Washington's long-time foe in the wake of the ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a key Cuban ally, on January 3.

Rubio addressed a closed-door meeting of CARICOM, the Caribbean group that comprises 15 member states and five associated members, in Saint Kitts and Nevis, and would hold bilateral meetings with some of the regional leaders, with efforts to counter migration and drug trafficking on the agenda.

Rubio departed Washington immediately after attending the State of the Union address, where President Donald Trump said he was "restoring American security and dominance in the Western Hemisphere," and touted the success of the operation in which U.S. forces seized Maduro and killed Cuban forces who were guarding him.

Reuters