Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged Cubans to work with the CIA. The call is directed at people living on the island at a time when Washington and Havana remain far apart. Rubio's personal history sits behind the tone, since his family came out of Cuba and island policy has been his signature issue since his Senate years. Now leading American diplomacy, he has kept the pressure on Havana rather than seeking a thaw. Asking Cubans to cooperate with American intelligence recalls the coldest phases of the two governments' long standoff. For ordinary Cubans, the practical meaning of such cooperation, and the risk attached to it, remain open questions. The message reaches Cubans at a moment when the island struggles with power cuts and shortages.