US Repeats Offer Of US$100 Mln In Direct Humanitarian Aid To Cubans While Pushing For Reforms

HAMILTON, May 14 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- The US on Wednesday renewed its offer to provide US$100 million in direct humanitarian assistance to the Cuban people, while urging reforms and criticising Havana's communist government for allegedly refusing previous aid proposals, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

"The United States continues to seek meaningful reforms to Cuba’s communist system, which has only served to enrich the elites and condemn the Cuban people to poverty," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

The statement said Secretary of State Marco Rubio – himself the son of emigrés from the island – had previously made "numerous private offers" to the Cuban government, including support for "free and fast satellite internet" and humanitarian assistance to help ordinary Cubans facing economic hardship.

According to the State Department, Cuban authorities have refused to allow the US to deliver the proposed assistance.

"Today, the Department of State is publicly restating the United States' generous offer to provide an additional US$100 million in direct humanitarian assistance to the Cuban people that would be distributed in coordination with the Catholic Church and other reliable independent humanitarian organisations," Pigott said.

The statement added that the aid would be delivered through independent groups rather than Cuban state institutions.

"The decision rests with the Cuban regime to accept our offer of assistance or deny critical life-saving aid and ultimately be accountable to the Cuban people for standing in the way of critical assistance," it added.

Writing on US social media platform X on Tuesday, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Cuba's foreign minister, denied that there was any US offer of aid, calling it a "fable" and a "US$100 million lie".

Cuba is facing a fuel crisis under a US oil embargo imposed on Jan 30, alongside widespread power outages.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that Cuba is "next" after the military operation against Iran and that the Caribbean island will fail "soon".

Trump's rhetoric toward Cuba has also recently intensified, including a Truth Social repost suggesting he would visit a "free Havana" before leaving office.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU