The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, invited citizens this Monday to participate in the event “Salute to America 250,” the grand celebration of July 4th in Washington D.C., recalling the signing of the Declaration of Independence as the foundational act of the American nation.
In a message posted on his official X account, Rubio wrote: "In 1776, a small group of patriots signed a document that challenged an empire and changed the world. The Salute to America on July 4th in Washington D.C. will honor that legacy with top-notch music, entertainment, and a record-breaking fireworks display."
The event will take place at the National Mall, between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, starting at 7:00 p.m., and tickets are free through freedom250.org.
The program includes over 300 military musicians, flyovers and aerial displays, a speech by President Donald Trump, and a fireworks show designed to set a Guinness World Record.
The company Pyrotecnico was hired to execute the show, which will include over 850,000 effects in 40 minutes from 10 launch points distributed throughout the capital.
More than a million people are expected to attend, making the event one of the most attended in the history of Washington D.C.
The event is part of the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of American independence, organized under the public-private platform Freedom250, associated with the White House.
In the video that accompanied his post, Rubio expanded on the invitation: "We gather to honor that sacred legacy with a night of top-notch music and entertainment, and a fireworks display that will light up the sky. Come celebrate the American miracle and the future we are building together."
The historic security operation for the celebrations was announced on Sunday by the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, who coordinated the Department of Homeland Security with local and state police agencies across the country.
«We will witness a fireworks display that will set a world record. We will see each state represented on the National Mall, highlighting what each one contributes and the greatness that the last 250 years have brought to the United States,» stated Mullin on Fox News.
The event has not been without controversy: artists such as Martina McBride, Young MC, and Morris Day and The Time withdrew from the lineup, claiming they were not informed about the political nature of the event.
Trump responded to the casualties by comparing his ability to draw a crowd to that of Elvis Presley.
In the context of the global #Freedom250 campaign by the Department of State, the United States Embassy in Cuba launched a call on Monday for Cubans to share messages about freedom, extending the reach of the celebrations beyond American borders.
Rubio, the first Hispanic to hold the position of Secretary of State, has been a central figure in promoting these celebrations both domestically and in projecting the message of freedom that the Trump administration seeks to convey during the nation's 250th anniversary.
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