The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through its Small Grants Programme, has launched a call for proposals to fund environmental initiatives in Cuba with financing of up to $75,000 for equipment and supplies.
The goal is to promote the implementation of projects on the Island that generate environmental benefits and contribute to improving the quality of life for communities through local actions.
But the UN agency itself imposes a condition that turns the regime into the absolute arbiter of money: no organization can access funds directly without the approval of a Cuban institution aligned with the State.
The requirement that unveils the true workings of the program is explicit: the proposals "must have the endorsement of a specialized Cuban institution in the subject, which will be responsible for presenting the project to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (MINCEX)."
This means that the government acts as a mandatory filter before any money reaches the hands of those working on the ground.
In fact, the announcement specifies that community-based organizations may apply, including popular councils, agricultural and non-agricultural cooperatives, and "legally registered non-governmental organizations." This means that independent environmental organizations or those not aligned with the government are effectively excluded.
The call, disseminated by Cubadebate, focuses on four areas: sustainable management of terrestrial, coastal, and marine landscapes; food security, sustainable agriculture, and fishing; energy transition towards renewable sources; and urban environmental sustainability.
Applicants must also declare a commitment to co-financing in Cuban pesos to ensure the implementation of the initiatives.
The initiative, implemented by UNDP in Cuba with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), will be open until September 18, and the selected projects will have a maximum duration of two years.
The announcement comes at a time when Havana is facing an unprecedented garbage crisis, with only 44 out of 106 garbage trucks operational due to a lack of fuel, leaving between 13,000 and 23,814 cubic meters of waste uncollected each day.
The neighbors burn trash in public areas, and the Food Monitor Program has already warned of a health emergency that threatens the food security of the capital.
This is not the first time that international funds intended for the Cuban environment end up being funneled through the state apparatus.
The Basque Country allocated 250,000 euros in June 2026 to sustainability projects in Havana, also through the UNDP.
Last week, PNUD itself launched a project for plastic waste management in the San Isidro neighborhood of Havana, executed in collaboration with the Office of the Historian of the City.
The PPD has been operating in Cuba for over 20 years and has supported 182 projects throughout the country. The Global Environment Facility has invested approximately 44 million dollars in 19 national projects since 1992 on the Island, mobilizing about 240 million in co-financing, with UNDP as the main channel.
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