US Renews $100 Million Aid Offer to Cuba

The United States government has publicly renewed its offer of $100 million in humanitarian assistance to Cuba, while urging Havana to cooperate as economic and energy challenges on the island worsen. 

The State Department, in a statement on Wednesday, said the aid package remains available but insisted that Cuba must allow its distribution to its population, accusing the Cuban authorities of blocking assistance needed by citizens facing prolonged blackouts and shortages.

The offer follows earlier remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said in Rome that Washington had already proposed the assistance but claimed the Cuban government rejected it, an assertion Havana has denied.

In its latest statement, the State Department maintained that the responsibility now lies with the Cuban leadership, arguing that it must choose between accepting the aid or being accountable for preventing what it described as life-saving support from reaching the population.

It said the assistance package would include direct humanitarian relief and support for expanded internet access, which Washington said could help improve communication and information flow in the country.

“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,” the State Department said.

“The decision rests with the Cuban regime to accept our offer of assistance or deny critical (life)-saving aid and ultimately be accountable to the Cuban people for standing in the way of critical assistance,” it said.

The US also said it is seeking to encourage broader reforms in Cuba while continuing targeted sanctions on key sectors of the state-controlled economy.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has repeatedly blamed Washington for the worsening energy crisis, describing it as the result of what he called a “blockade” that is restricting fuel supplies to the island.

He said the situation has reached a critical point, with large parts of the country experiencing prolonged and widespread power outages.

The Cuban government has argued that its energy difficulties are being worsened by external pressure and restrictions on fuel imports, while the US maintains that Cuba’s internal policies are a major factor in the crisis.

The dispute comes as Cuba continues to grapple with economic stagnation, fuel shortages and repeated nationwide power disruptions, which have deepened public hardship across the country.