Rubio offers Cubans "new path" in video address
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the Cuban people in a video, criticizing the corrupt elite and proposing a $100 million aid package. He emphasized the need for direct support to the people rather than through the politically-connected GAESA organization. This message coincided with the anticipated indictment of former President Raúl Castro by U.S. officials.
- ▪Rubio criticized the Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. (GAESA) for controlling 70% of Cuba's economy and profiting from various sectors.
- ▪He proposed that the $100 million in aid be distributed through the Catholic Church to prevent it from being misappropriated by GAESA.
- ▪Rubio's comments came as Raúl Castro is expected to be indicted for his involvement in the shooting down of humanitarian planes in 1996.
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Politics Rubio offers Cubans "new path" in video address as U.S. prepares to indict Raúl Castro By Mark Osborne May 20, 2026 / 10:10 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke Wednesday directly to the Cuban people in a video recorded in Spanish, criticizing the country's elite for being corrupt and offering a "new path," including a proposed $100 million influx of food and medicine. The message came as U.S. officials are preparing to announce an expected indictment of former President Raúl Castro.Rubio, the son of Cuban parents who immigrated to Florida two years before Fidel Castro rose to power, targeted the Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A., or GAESA, a politically-connected Cuban business organization that Rubio alleges has $18 billion…
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