A graffiti written with a spelling mistake: "FASCIST CURE DISTRIBUTES THE DONATION WELL," appeared painted on the wall of the church in Bejucal, Mayabeque, after the Catholic Church began distributing humanitarian aid from the United States government to vulnerable people.
The Father Jorge Luis Pérez Soto of the Archdiocese of Havana publicly responded on with an extensive text titled precisely "Fascist is spelled with a c," in which he defended the charitable work of the Church and rejected the accusations of mismanagement of donations.
The priest began by clarifying that there is a sea of needy people and that with limited resources, it is not possible to reach everyone in the same way.
"We have never placed conditions on that assistance. Neither based on religious beliefs, nor on political or social affiliations, nor on likes or dislikes. The only criterion is the actual need of the individuals," she emphasized.
He specified that the delivery will be gradual due to logistical constraints, and limited because the resources are insufficient to meet all the vast needs. What will not be lacking is responsibility, seriousness, and a commitment to truth and justice.
"60 million sounds large... sounds like a lot... but in the current situation in Cuba, where the highest percentage of the population lives in extreme need, it turns into five loaves and two fish," he said.
Regarding the attempts to discredit the work, he was emphatic: "Let them ask those who have received the assistance whether it is good or bad. (...) At least we know to which hands these donations go, and we know they receive them free of charge."
It also denounced that the attempts at defamation do not come only from social media: "Even from the institutions of the country, we have seen attempts to discredit this act, which, while it does not resolve the situation, alleviates those who receive it."
Father Pérez Soto criticized that some evangelical ministers require lists of beneficiaries to exclude those aligned with the regime, and questioned why independent civic volunteers would join smear campaigns when they themselves "know how complex it is to organize any type of humanitarian aid in Cuba."
He also warned of the risk that the donation could be used for political purposes by the government: "May humanitarian aid not become a smokescreen used by the ciberclarias and others to divert attention from our serious and urgent issues as a nation that can no longer be delayed in their resolution."
Lastly, he emphasized that although humanitarian aid is a temporary relief, what Cuba needs are political, economic, and social changes that will make a dignified life for the people possible.
"Let us not have to beg as if we were starving or a people incapable of working and sustaining ourselves," he expressed.
It is striking that the provocation against the church occurs precisely in Bejucal, where Mike Hammer, head of the U.S. Embassy mission in Cuba, visited several families on Saturday to see firsthand how humanitarian aid sent by his government had arrived.
Hammer visited the homes of some beneficiaries: "We are here on behalf of the United States government, President Trump, and Secretary Marco Rubio, to see how the aid we are sending has arrived, if it will improve the situation, and to see how things are going," he said.
In addition to food, the rechargeable lamps included in the packages were especially valued in light of the energy crisis the island is experiencing. "Everyone is telling me that the little lamps work," Hammer noted.
The modules distributed in Bejucal contain basic food items—rice, beans, oil, sugar, pasta, sardines, and tuna—alongside hygiene and household products such as soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, water purification tablets, a plastic bucket, a 20-liter container, and a rechargeable lamp.
The Catholic Church began distributing humanitarian aid on Wednesday, July 22, in the municipalities of Bejucal and Alquízar, one day after the first shipment—18 tons on a flight from Miami—landed at José Martí International Airport.
The U.S. government aid program amounts to 100 million dollars: 60 million funneled through the Catholic Church and Cáritas, and 40 million through independent non-governmental organizations, with the explicit condition that the resources do not go through the Cuban state.
Cáritas Cuba publicly acknowledged that the aid will not reach all Cubans in need, and that the selection criteria prioritize elderly individuals living alone, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with disabilities, and families with children under five years old.
The program aims to benefit between 100,000 and 200,000 households.
The incident fits into a documented pattern of harassment against the Catholic Church in Cuba.
Between January 2025 and June 2026, the organization CSW reported 667 violations of religious freedom on the Island, including the confiscation of humanitarian aid distributed by churches and 94 warning notices against religious leaders.
The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights reported 873 violations during 2025, and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom included Cuba in its 2026 annual report as a country with serious and systematic violations.
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