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Miguel Díaz-Canel published a message on X this Thursday in which he accused the United States government of systematically and ruthlessly punishing the Cuban people, while also conditioning the acceptance of 100 million dollars offered by Washington on the latter's adherence to "universally recognized practices for humanitarian aid."
The message from the Cuban leader comes in response to the offer of 100 million dollars that Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed on May 8 from Rome, a day after meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, where Cuba was the main topic.
"If there is truly willingness from the U.S. government to provide aid in the amounts it announces and in full accordance with universally recognized practices for humanitarian assistance, it will not find obstacles or ingratitude from Cuba, no matter how inconsequential and paradoxical the offer might seem to a people that the U.S. government systematically and ruthlessly punishes collectively," wrote Díaz-Canel.
The leader identified "fuels, food, and medicine" as urgent priorities and added that the humanitarian situation is "coldly calculated and induced" by Washington.
Díaz-Canel also resorted to the regime's usual argument by stating that "the damage could be alleviated in a simpler and more expedient manner with the lifting or easing of the blockade," thereby evading responsibility for 67 years of communist dictatorship in the economic collapse of the island.
The State Department formalized the offer on May 12, specifying that the aid would be channeled exclusively through the Catholic Church, Caritas, and independent non-governmental organizations, without any involvement from the Cuban government.
That condition is precisely what bothers the regime, which has historically controlled the distribution of external resources.
The Cuban-American congressman Carlos Giménez was straightforward about it: "The regime only wants to continue doing what it always does: steal the aid and profit by reselling it to the people."
The official Cuban stance has shifted in just a few days.
The chancellor Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla described the offer as a “$100 million lie” on May 12, but this Thursday he softened his stance and stated he is “willing to listen to the details of the offer.”
The shift coincides with an energy and food crisis of historic proportions.
Cuba is facing a projected energy deficit of over 2,000 MW for the nighttime peak, and blackouts affected 65% of the territory on May 12.
In April 2026, only one of the eight fuel ships that the regime claims to need each month arrived, after simultaneously losing supplies from Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico.
33.9% of Cuban households reported hunger in 2025, according to the Food Monitor Program.
The U.S. had already provided six million dollars in humanitarian aid through Caritas, distributed among families in eastern Cuba, which contradicts the regime's claim that Washington lacks a genuine willingness to help.
Rubio was categorical this Thursday when assessing the prospects for change: "I don't believe we can change the trajectory of Cuba while these individuals are in charge of the regime."
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