Mike Hammer, head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Cuba, visited communities in Villa Clara this Sunday and entered the homes of several vulnerable families who received a portion of the humanitarian aid sent by the Trump Administration.
Accompanied by his wife, Margret, and members of the Embassy team, the diplomat visited Quemado de Güines and the Cotorra neighborhood, according to the U.S. Embassy in Cuba reported on its social media.
The released images show Hammer conversing with elderly individuals inside visibly deteriorated homes. In one of them, he appears alongside an elderly man sitting on a precarious wooden structure, while he touches the man's face during the encounter.
"In Quemado de Güines and the Cotorra neighborhood, we visited some who received the humanitarian aid sent by the Trump Administration. Caritas is doing an outstanding job in the difficult task of reaching the most vulnerable," noted the diplomatic representation.
Hammer also visited the parish of La Purísima Concepción, where part of the aid awaiting distribution is stored, and expressed gratitude to the parish priest Andy Acosta —known as "Father Andy"— and to the volunteers from Cáritas for their efforts.
The shipment intended for Villa Clara arrived three days early at Abel Santamaría International Airport in Santa Clara, carrying 700 food modules and 700 hygiene kits. This is the first shipment of this kind destined for that province.
The modules contain products such as rice, beans, sugar, oil, sardines, and tuna, as well as hygiene items and rechargeable lamps. The assistance is primarily aimed at elderly individuals living alone, people with disabilities, pregnant or breastfeeding mothers, and families with small children.
The distribution began on Saturday in the community of Sevilla, about two kilometers south of Quemado de Güines, where Cáritas Santa Clara delivered 42 aid modules.
The volunteer Marlene Betancourt described that day as "a painful reminder of the poverty that surrounds us" and shared that the joy of an elderly woman receiving a rechargeable lamp made her recall "the value of the little things."
Hammer's visit also took place amid a campaign against the diplomat and U.S. aid promoted by pro-government profiles, some of whom claimed that the shipment contained supposed "beans with worms."
Cáritas Santa Clara rejected those accusations and published photographs and testimonies from beneficiaries to demonstrate that the products had arrived in "perfect condition."
Assistance is part of the $100 million program announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in May.
Of the total, 60 million dollars are channeled through the Catholic Church, with participation from Catholic Relief Services and Caritas Cuba, and another 40 million through independent non-governmental organizations. Washington has indicated that it seeks to ensure that the aid reaches needy Cubans directly, without falling under the control of the regime.
The program is expected to benefit between 100,000 and 120,000 Cuban families.
In Quemado de Güines, the distribution has also engaged individuals outside the religious community. According to Cáritas, young people from the municipality who do not attend the church voluntarily joined to help deliver supplies to those who need them most.
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