Mike Hammer, mission chief at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, visited the town of Alquízar, Artemisa, this Tuesday to personally verify that the 100 million dollars in humanitarian aid sent by the Trump administration is reaching the most vulnerable families on the Island.
The visit was documented in a video published by the official account of the embassy on X, where Hammer went to the homes of several beneficiaries and checked the reception of basic food items - rice, beans, sugar - along with solar lamps and hygiene items such as toothpaste.
"I'm walking through Alquízar, in Artemisa, observing how the distribution of humanitarian aid sent by the Trump administration for those in need is taking place," declared the official.
An elderly woman described the supplies received as a relief from the extreme scarcity she is experiencing: "The rice, the beans, the hygiene products, the toothpaste, the sugar, everything is so necessary here, that I had almost nothing. That was a miracle from God."
Another beneficiary highlighted the transparency of the delivery process: “The level of organizational seriousness during that delivery; the box arrived sealed, you know, as we Cubans say, there were no tricks.”
This is Hammer's third visit to families benefiting from U.S. aid: he had already visited homes in Bejucal on July 25 and August 7, as part of the direct verification strategy.
The distribution in Bejucal and Alquízar began on July 23, coordinated by Cáritas Cuba and local parish networks, following the first humanitarian flight that departed from Miami on July 21 carrying nearly 18 tons of supplies intended for about 700 families.
The 100 million package was announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on May 8 and formalized days later by the State Department.
Divided into 60 million channeled through the Catholic Church -via Catholic Relief Services and Cáritas Cuba- and 40 million allocated to independent non-governmental organizations. The condition is that the resources reach the people directly without the regime's mediation.
The distribution prioritizes elderly individuals, people with disabilities, pregnant women or those in the lactation period, and families with children in vulnerable situations.
The regime has rejected the initiative from the outset: the chancellor Bruno Rodríguez referred to it as a "100 million dollar lie" and Díaz-Canel publicly mocked, stating that the aid seemed like a joke.
Nevertheless, distribution is still progressing through independent channels.
The program aims to benefit between 100,000 and 120,000 families across the Island over successive phases.
The packages contain oil, sardines, tuna, soap, water purification tablets and plastic containers, among other essential items.
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