The head of the U.S. mission in Havana, Mike Hammer, stated this Wednesday that he cannot disclose details about ongoing actions from Washington, but warned that “the Cuban regime will have to choose”, in comments made during an exchange with journalists in the context of the arrival and distribution of humanitarian aid channeled through the Catholic Church for those affected.
In a video shared by the independent media outlet CubaNet, from the headquarters where humanitarian aid is coordinated, Hammer refrained from specifying whether there are any specific discussions or efforts regarding Cuba's political future and emphasized that the Trump administration will allow President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to make announcements and publicly define the path forward.
“We talked about these issues, but we're not yet ready to share them with the rest of the world,” he stated when referring to a recent meeting with Rubio at the White House.
In his message, the diplomat emphasized that Washington's priority is to reach the Cuban people "directly" and prevent the government from benefiting from the assistance.
He emphasized the distinction between "the people" and "the regime," arguing that the assistance provided is intended to support needy families, not the state structures.
He also noted that the embassy will continue to focus on its objectives: to protect the United States, to prevent Cuba from posing a threat to Americans, and to advance what he defined as the national interest of a "free Cuba."
Hammer framed his words within a pressure campaign that, he stated, “is intensifying,” and connected the regional energy issue with the end of the shipment of Venezuelan oil to structures of power in Cuba.
He stated that the oil received from Venezuela under Maduro's regime served as a sort of "payment" that benefited the security apparatus and the leadership, and emphasized that the U.S. stance aims to prevent those resources from once again supporting the system.
In the exchange with the press, Hammer cited as an immediate example the dilemma that, according to him, the Cuban government faces regarding aid: in light of widespread need, he questioned how the regime would explain to the populace why it cannot accept assistance "that people need to survive."
He reiterated that the message to the Cubans is the one he claims to convey "daily" when he walks the streets and visits homes: that the U.S. wants the people to "live in freedom."
Regarding logistics, he explained that distribution would be organized in affected areas through local networks (with boxes in transportable sizes) and acknowledged that the lack of fuel presents a challenge.
He also warned that if the government tried to divert or seize the aid, it could only do so by taking it away from families, which he stated would be closely monitored.
The humanitarian aid plan for those affected by Hurricane Melissa includes charter flights from Miami to Holguín and Santiago de Cuba, as well as a ship carrying the remaining assistance, which will dock in Santiago.
The State Department estimated that the aid could reach up to 24,000 people in the most affected provinces: Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, Granma, and Guantánamo.
In addition to basic food items (such as rice, beans, oil, and sugar), the Church will distribute supplies for purifying and storing water, as well as essential household items, including pots and cooking utensils, sheets and blankets, and solar lanterns to cope with power outages.
Melissa struck eastern Cuba as a category 3 hurricane in October of last year, leaving thousands of people homeless and causing damage to crops, telecommunications, electricity, and water pumping infrastructure.
The aid is framed within a context of crisis on the island, marked by widespread shortages and only a few hours of electricity per day, along with the UN's estimates regarding the scale of human and housing damage following the cyclone.
The U.S. warns the regime
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, issued a new direct warning to the Cuban regime this Saturday, stating that "there will be no more oil or money" coming from Venezuela to the island and suggesting that Havana "make a deal before it is too late."
The message comes just a week after the capture of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores during the U.S. military operation in Caracas, an event that has reconfigured the political landscape of the continent and left Cuba in a position of maximum vulnerability.
"Cuba lived for many years off large amounts of oil and money from Venezuela. In exchange, Cuba provided 'security services' to the last two Venezuelan dictators. 'But no more!' Trump wrote, before stating that 'most of those Cubans are dead after last week's attack.'"
The U.S. president stated that "Venezuela no longer needs protection from the thugs and extortionists" sent by Havana, and proclaimed that, from now on, "the United States will protect the Venezuelan people."
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