Rubio: Cubans deserve a better future five years after July 11 protests

Five years after thousands of Cubans took to the streets demanding change, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that the island's people deserve a better future. Rubio, whose parents emigrated from Cuba, highlighted the July 11 demonstrations as a moment when Cubans sought an end to "decades of repression and economic incompetence by the Communist regime."

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Five years ago, thousands of Cubans took to the streets to demand a better future for themselves and their families, seeking change after decades of repression and economic incompetence by the Communist regime.

In a statement, Rubio condemned the regime's reaction, describing it as "brutality" against peaceful demonstrators and the arrest of thousands. He noted that hundreds remain imprisoned for simply asking for basic rights, opportunities, and dignity. The Trump administration, he reiterated, calls for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Cuba.

Rubio criticized Cuba's economic situation, stating the country's economy is in "freefall" with citizens suffering blackouts, hunger, and deprivation. He claimed the U.S. has consistently provided humanitarian aid, food, medicine, and critical goods. The Trump administration, he added, offered reconstruction assistance and the potential for a new relationship, contingent on political and economic reforms.

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True to form, the regime responded with brutality, beating peaceful demonstrators in the streets and arresting thousands of everyday Cubans.

However, Rubio accused the regime and its elites of prioritizing their own control over the people's well-being. He alleged they continue to consolidate economic power, move remaining resources overseas, and blame external factors for their failures. Furthermore, he claimed Cuba allies itself with U.S. adversaries, posing a national security threat by hosting hostile foreign military and intelligence operations close to American shores and supporting subversive networks within the United States.

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To this day, hundreds of Cubans remain unjustly detained for the simple sin of asking for basic rights, opportunities, and dignity.

Rubio concluded by warning that Cuba's leaders must choose genuine reforms, peace, and prosperity. He stated the U.S. will employ every available tool to counter national security threats and promote economic and political reforms, ultimately aiming to give Cuba a chance at a better future.

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President Trump and I want a better future for Cuba and its long-suffering people.