US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a Spanish-language video address to Cubans on May 20, 2026, coinciding with Cuba’s Independence Day and hours before an expected criminal indictment of Raúl Castro. The message emphasized a new US-Cuba relationship centered on electoral choice and was released amid reports of additional US pressure measures including an energy blockade. Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, framed the outreach as an opportunity for Cubans to select and replace their leaders.