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The Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel stated that his government is open to humanitarian aid "as long as it is honest" in an indirect reference to the offer of aid made by the U.S.
“As I have already expressed, Cuba is open and appreciates any type of help to our people, as long as it is honest and within the framework of respect for regulations and national sovereignty, just as various countries and international organizations are already doing,” wrote the ruler on X, alongside the video response from the Cuban regime to the announcement of aid made by Marco Rubio.
This week, while Hurricane Melissa battered the Caribbean, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with the governments of Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas to coordinate response and assistance.
The legislator assured that rescue and response teams are heading to the affected areas, along with vital supplies, and expressed his “prayers” for the people of the Caribbean.
One day later, Rubio announced the willingness of the U.S. government to provide “immediate” humanitarian aid to Cubans affected by Hurricane Melissa, and clarified that he intends to do so without intermediaries from the regime.
The initial statement was made through his account on the social media platform X, where the Republican official avoided going into details but made it clear that the island is joining the group of countries that will be able to receive assistance from Washington.
"We are ready to provide immediate humanitarian aid to the Cuban people affected by the hurricane," Rubio stated succinctly.
The statements made by the Cuban American provoked several contradictory and arrogant messages from high-ranking Cuban officials who, rather than showing concern for the human tragedy, have chosen political confrontation.
On Friday, the Cuban government stated that the United States has not made any concrete offer of humanitarian aid following the passage of Melissa.
The statement was made by Johana Tablada, Deputy Director General of the U.S. Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX), who affirmed that the Cuban embassy in Washington reached out to the State Department "regarding what they published," but that so far "the United States has not made any concrete offers nor has it responded to the questions" raised about the announced assistance.
According to Tablada, other countries and United Nations organizations have already made offers that are in the process of being realized, and he reiterated that “in no case has the government of Cuba imposed extraordinary conditions.”
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