Cuba Fluctuates on U.S. Offer of $100 Million Aid

The United States Department of State offered $100 million in humanitarian assistance and satellite internet to the Cuban people to address a severe economic and energy crisis. Secretary of State Marco Rubio conditioned the aid on distribution through the Catholic Church and independent organizations, such as Catholic Relief Services and Samaritan’s Purse, to bypass the Cuban government. This proposal followed Rubio's meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.

Cuban officials initially dismissed the offer as a "fable" and a "lie." However, as the island faced record electricity deficits and total fuel exhaustion—exacerbated by the U.S.-led removal of Nicolás Maduro in January—Havana's stance shifted. President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla later expressed openness to the aid, prioritizing fuel, food, and medicine, though they continued to argue that lifting the U.S. energy blockade would be a faster solution.

The situation remained volatile through May 2026. Despite an unannounced visit to Havana by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and meetings between U.S. Ambassador Mike Hammer and Cuban officials, the two nations reached an impasse. By May 19, Cuban Ambassador Miguel Manuel Fraga Gonzalez rejected the package, demanding the removal of the 1962 trade embargo instead. Meanwhile, Rubio accused the military-run conglomerate GAESA of plundering billions and controlling 70 percent of the economy, asserting that the regime is responsible for the nation's ruin.