A fact sheet released September 9 by the U.S. Department of State detailed the following measures taken by the U.S.:
** The provision of $100,000 to nongovernmental organizations conducting humanitarian relief operations as a result of Hurricane Gustav. According to the fact sheet, additional assistance is being considered for the additional requirements generated by Hurricane Ike.
** An offer to send to Cuba a humanitarian assessment team to determine Cuban needs and forms of assistance that the United States might be able to provide. The fact sheet notes that Cuba rejected this offer in the wake of Hurricane Gustav, but the offer remains on the table for Cuba’s consideration.
** Increased existing authorizations for humanitarian assistance from nongovernmental organizations based in the United States.
The State Department noted that American citizens “…are the largest providers of humanitarian aid to the Cuban people, and Cuba’s top supplier of food.” Last year alone, the fact sheet says, Americans provided more than $240 million in private humanitarian assistance to Cuba.
The private geopolitical intelligence firm STRATFOR, based in Austin, Texas, says that rejecting offers of American aid will not be easy for the Cuban government, especially if the humanitarian needs of the Cuban people are very great following the ravages of two hurricanes.
The only alternative to accepting American aid, STRATFOR says, is for Cuba to wait for other governments, much farther away than the United States, to send the island the assistance it needs. If the Cuban people are in “dire straits,” STRATFOR says, waiting may not be an option.
In a recent analysis, STRATFOR said, referring to Cuba, “You need aid now, and that means you need it from the United States.”
The trick for Washington is to provide the humanitarian assistance needed by the Cuban people without softening its hard-line stance against the Castro government. Under Fidel Castro, the Cuban government was staunchly anti-American. Since his brother Raul took over for the ailing Fidel, however, the Cuban government has shown some signs, even if weak ones, of relaxing some of the restrictions put in place since the Castros came to power in 1959.
Washington is still very much opposed to the Castro regime, and it is unlikely that the U.S. embargo against Cuba will be lifted anytime soon. But an influx of American aid into Cuba could provide an opening for a more moderate Raul Castro to begin the long process of improving relations with the United States.
The State Department Fact Sheet is available here.
