US secretary of state Marco Rubio marked Cuban Independence Day with a direct message to the people of Cuba.
In a Spanish-language video address released on Wednesday, Rubio blamed the island’s communist leadership for the “unimaginable hardships” faced by ordinary Cubans and spoke of offering the country a “new path.”
"And I want to tell you what we in the US are offering to help you, not only alleviate the current crisis, but also to build a better future," Rubio said in the video address.
"The real reason you don't have electricity, fuel, or food is because those who control your country have plundered billions of dollars, but nothing has been used to help the people," he added.
