Mike Hammer, mission chief of the United States Embassy in Cuba, met this Friday in Santa Clara with citizens and activists dedicated to a different future for the Island, in a new day of direct engagement with Cuban civil society.
The Embassy documented the meeting in a video posted on its X account under the hashtag #WithCubanPeople, in which Hammer is seen chatting on the streets of the city with people who spontaneously approach him to greet him and share their opinions.
"In Santa Clara, we met with several people who are committed to creating a better future for Cuba. It’s such a pleasure to walk through the streets and see the number of people who greet us and want to share their opinions with us. We will continue traveling across the country," stated the Embassy while posting the video.
In the images, Hammer addresses the situation of political prisoners and reaffirms Washington's commitment to their release: "I was with Secretary Marco Rubio last week in Washington. We will continue to insist that they release all those who are unjustly imprisoned."
He also spoke with the 11J protester and political prisoner Andy García Lorenzo, whose family fought a tough battle against the regime for his release.
This visit is the latest in an intense schedule that Hammer has maintained throughout September in Villa Clara.
Mid-month, he met with the dissident Guillermo "Coco" Fariñas at the headquarters of the United Antitotalitarian Forum (FANTU) in Santa Clara, a meeting with significant symbolic weight since Fariñas had been detained for 24 hours just days prior for expressing solidarity with Andy García Lorenzo.
During those days, Hammer also 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 checked the delivery of humanitarian aid in the town of Quintín Banderas, in Corralillo.
All these programs are part of the 100 million dollar initiative announced by the Trump administration for Cuba, of which 60 million is directed through Cáritas Cuba and Catholic Relief Services, and 40 million through other independent organizations, without involvement from the Cuban state.
The regime responded to Hammer's visits with a disinformation campaign that falsely accused the distributed food of being contaminated, a claim that Cáritas publicly refuted.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for his part, warned days ago that "things are not going to improve without very substantial changes," in direct reference to the Cuban government, while also opening the door to working with figures from the regime who demonstrate a real willingness for transformation.
Filed under: