The announcement, shared through a special video in Spanish, coincides with the commemoration of May 20th —Cuba's Independence Day for the exile— and comes just before the Department of Justice announces a criminal indictment against former leader Raúl Castro, 94 years old.
The charges against Castro stem from a case dating back to 1996 when Cuban military planes shot down two civilian aircraft piloted by opponents. In this context, Rubio has directly accused the Cuban leadership of looting, corruption, and oppression, emphasizing that President Donald Trump's offer aims for direct dialogue with the citizens: "it has to be directly with you, the Cuban people." According to the Secretary of State, the current energy crisis and constant blackouts are not a result of a blockade but of the looting of billions of dollars by the ruling elite.
The Secretary of State focused on GAESA, the military conglomerate founded by Raúl Castro, stating that it generates revenues three times higher than the current government's budget. Rubio denounced that instead of modernizing power plants, the leadership uses the money to build hotels for foreigners and finance the luxuries of their relatives in Madrid or the United States. Therefore, he reiterated the offer of $100 million in humanitarian aid that should be distributed directly by the Catholic Church or other charitable groups.
Havana's response was swift. President Miguel Díaz-Canel described the message as "interference" and "plunder," recalling that for the official narrative, May 20th symbolizes subordination to Washington after the Platt Amendment.