Mike Hammer, the mission chief of the United States Embassy in Cuba, visited the town of Quintín Banderas this weekend, located in the Corralillo municipality of Villa Clara. During his visit, he met with families benefiting from the humanitarian aid packages provided by the U.S. government and oversaw the delivery of assistance to those who need it most.
The Embassy documented the journey in a video posted on its X account under the hashtag #WithCubanPeopleStanding, where Hammer is seen talking with beneficiaries inside their homes.
The images show the level of precariousness these families face. One of the women told Hammer after receiving assistance, "I cried a lot. The need one has," and added that before receiving the kit, "I had nothing else to eat." Another beneficiary mentioned having tried the sardines included in the food package.
"Being close to the Cubans and listening to them is essential for our work," wrote the Embassy when publishing the video, expressing gratitude that families "opened the doors of their homes and welcomed them with warmth."
This visit is a direct follow-up to the distribution that began in Villa Clara on September 10, when 700 food kits and 700 hygiene kits landed at Abel Santamaría Airport intended for families in Quemado de Güines and Rancho Veloz.
Hammer had already toured the province between September 12 and 14: he visited vulnerable homes in Quemado de Güines and the Cotorra neighborhood, met with Bishop Arturo González Amador and the director of Cáritas Santa Clara, and also met with the dissident Guillermo "Coco" Fariñas, who had been detained on August 31.
During the visit, the Cuban regime responded with a disinformation campaign against Hammer in Villa Clara, which included an accusation that the food was contaminated, a claim that Cáritas publicly denied.
The aid that Hammer supervises is part of the $100 million program announced by the Trump administration for Cuba. Of that amount, $60 million is funneled through the Catholic Church —via Cáritas Cuba and Catholic Relief Services— and $40 million through other independent organizations, without involvement from the Cuban state.
On September 16, the Embassy announced the upcoming arrival of aid to five more provinces: Camagüey, Ciego de Ávila, Cienfuegos, Matanzas, and Pinar del Río. Days later, Cáritas Cienfuegos distributed nearly 700 kits in the municipality of Lajas.
It is estimated that the program will benefit a total of between 100,000 and 120,000 families across Cuba, prioritizing elderly individuals living alone, people with disabilities, pregnant women or those in the breastfeeding period, and families with children under five years old.
In Villa Clara, Bishop González Amador warned that there are clear limits to assistance: "We will only be able to help the most urgent cases and the most painful situations," and he emphasized that "this is not a project for permanent social assistance."
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