Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a Spanish-language message to Cubans on Wednesday blaming the island's "unimaginable hardships" on the country's communist leadership and military-controlled economy, marking the first time he has directly addressed the Cuban population since becoming the top U.S. diplomat.
Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants who grew up in Miami and has long been one of the most prominent Cuban-American voices in U.S. politics, used the speech to argue that Cuba's economic collapse is the result of corruption and centralized control rather than a lack of natural resources or external pressure.
