😱🇨🇺 Marco Rubio's message about Cuba: What's behind the energy crisis? ⚡

### 🔍 The finger on the pulse: GAESA under the spotlight

In a recent and forceful message in Spanish directed at the Cuban people on the anniversary of their independence, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio slammed the official narrative from the island. According to Rubio, the severe blackouts of up to 22 hours a day, combined with chronic shortages of food and fuel, are not a direct consequence of the U.S. embargo, but rather the result of "systematic looting" by GAESA.

What exactly is this organization? It is the powerful business conglomerate of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, founded three decades ago by Raúl Castro. The U.S. official pointed out that this military giant currently controls about 70% of the Cuban economy and manages assets valued at around 18,000 million dollars, generating revenues that triple the budget of the civil government itself.

### 🏨 Luxury hotels vs. Power plants

The core of the accusation lies in the destination of these funds. GAESA's revenues—stemming from international tourism, retail chains, banks, and even a percentage of family remittances sent from abroad—do not seem to revert to the well-being of the population.

Rubio directly accused the elite of prioritizing the construction of new luxury hotels for foreigners and the purchase of fuel for their own vehicles and private generators. All of this happens while the citizens are asked for 'sacrifice' and the maintenance and repair of the country's deteriorated thermoelectric plants are completely neglected.

### 💰 A conditional aid offer

In light of the severity of the humanitarian crisis, the U.S. government has put a proposal on the table: assistance valued at 100 million dollars in food and medicine.

However, the offer includes a non-negotiable condition: to ensure that the supplies genuinely reach Cuban families and do not end up on the black market or held back, the aid must be distributed directly through the Catholic Church or other trusted international organizations, completely bypassing GAESA's intervention.

> 💡 Fun Fact: > Although GAESA operates as the largest and most profitable corporation in Cuba, controlling everything from hotels to customs and retail stores, its financial statements and audits are not public. It does not report to the National Assembly or any civil ministry; it functions practically as a parallel economy under strict military secrecy.