Washington announces new $100-million aid package for Cuba Havana calls move “a lie”

14 May 2026 10:38

The US State Department has announced a new humanitarian aid offer to Cuba worth $100 million, according to an official statement published on its website.

The department said the United States continues to push for meaningful reforms in Cuba’s communist system, which it claims enriches elites while leaving the population in poverty.

“As US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, the United States has also made numerous private offers to the Cuban regime to provide generous assistance to the Cuban people, including support for free and fast satellite internet and $100 million in direct humanitarian assistance. The regime refuses to allow the United States to provide this assistance to the Cuban people, who are in desperate need of assistance due to the failures of Cuba’s corrupt regime.

Today, the Department of State is publicly restating the United States’ generous offer to provide an additional $100 million in direct humanitarian assistance to the Cuban people that would be distributed in coordination with the Catholic Church and other reliable independent humanitarian organisations,” the State Department said.

The statement emphasised that the decision now rests with Havana, either to accept or reject the offer, and warned that the Cuban authorities would be held responsible for obstructing critical assistance.

In response, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said on social media that no such official proposal exists. He dismissed Rubio’s remarks as an effort to mislead public opinion and rationalise continued US pressure on Havana.

Somebody should ask the #US Secretary of State about the fable of the alleged offer of 100 million dollars in humanitarian assistance to #Cuba which no one knows about.

It would be good to know who in particular would contribute the money, if this would be delivered in cash to… pic.twitter.com/JShBHnmsMS
— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) May 12, 2026