Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested Tuesday that Cuba needs new leadership as the country battles an economic and energy crisis and a nationwide blackout.

The blackout began Monday after the country's Energy Department noted a "complete disconnection” of Cuba's electrical system, though there were no failures in the units that were operating when Cuba's power grid collapsed, according to the Associated Press.

The economic and energy crisis comes as the United States imposes heavy sanctions on the island nation, which Rubio claimed was tied to "political change" in Cuba.

"The bottom line is their economy doesn't work," Rubio told reporters at the White House. "It's a nonfunctional economy. It's an economy that has survived. That thing they have has survived on subsidies from the Soviet Union and now from Venezuela. They don't get subsidies anymore. So they're in a lot of trouble. The people in charge of them don't know how to fix it. So they have to get new people in charge." 

The comment comes as President Donald Trump increases his rhetoric against Cuba, stating Monday that he expects to have the "honor" of "taking Cuba in some form." 

The State Department has also denied allegations that the sanctions are responsible for the power outage and crises, stating that blackouts are common in Cuba under its current regime. 

"This is the tragic result of over 60 years of Communist rule," a State Department official told Fox News. "An island that was once the crown jewel of the Caribbean has plunged into extreme poverty and darkness. As President Trump has said, what is left of the regime should make a deal and finally let the Cuban people be free and prosperous, with the help of the United States." 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.