Despite the criticism, the Cuban regime adds new bank accounts for donations for Hurricane Melissa

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (MINCEX) announced on Monday new bank accounts to receive donations for recovery efforts following Hurricane Melissa, despite strong public criticism regarding the lack of transparency in managing the funds raised since last week.

In a post on its official Facebook profile, MINCEX reported that donations can be channeled through several financial institutions, including Banco Internacional de Comercio S.A. (BICSA), which has raised new questions about the traceability and control of the funds that are collected.

The statement does not clarify why new accounts are being opened when the state banking system, through the Banco de Crédito y Comercio (BANDEC), had already established similar avenues for “victims of Hurricane Melissa” even before the cyclone impacted the eastern part of the country. It also does not provide official figures on the amounts raised, the beneficiaries, or the audit mechanisms employed.

On social media, many Cubans have expressed their distrust that donations will actually reach the affected families and have questioned the lack of verifiable public information regarding the use of the funds.

Since the passage of the hurricane, criticism has focused on the opacity of the state management of aid, the exclusive control of official channels, and the lack of participation from independent or community organizations that could ensure a more direct and transparent distribution.

Although the authorities present these accounts as a mechanism to facilitate the transfer of resources from abroad, many citizens perceive this gesture as a propaganda measure lacking accountability, in a context where the population demands evidence that aid actually reaches those who need it most.

The MINCEX publication does not specify how much funding has been received to date, nor does it detail which institutions will oversee its management, which heightens skepticism about a process that, according to various comments on social media, "does not inspire confidence as long as the people do not see concrete results."

Meanwhile, the humanitarian emergency caused by Melissa continues to affect thousands of families in eastern Cuba, and the gap between official discourse and everyday reality keeps widening, along with the public's distrust in institutional donation methods.