U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated today that Cuba has accepted a 100 million dollar (86.3 million euro) aid offer from the United States. He added, however, that he is not entirely certain whether Washington will ultimately accept the specific conditions imposed by Havana. “They say they have accepted. We will see if that means this is going to work,” Rubio declared to the media in his hometown of Miami.
Cuba has limited its public comments to stating that it was considering the offer made by the head of American diplomacy, without confirming its formal acceptance. The United States indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro on Wednesday for homicide, escalating political pressure on the communist Caribbean island. “We are not going to provide humanitarian aid that falls into the hands of the military,” the American official declared.
Rubio argued that the Cuban military takes possession of such goods, sells them in dollar stores, and pockets the money. Marco Rubio, who is of Cuban descent and a fierce critic of the communist government in Havana, also stated that the United States hopes to avoid the use of force. The indictment in Miami of the 94-year-old former Cuban president stems from a case dating back more than 30 years.
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The indictment generated widespread speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump could use the charge as a pretext to attack the island and arrest him. A similar operation occurred in January of this year with then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was captured by U.S. forces in Caracas and transported to the United States. Maduro remains detained awaiting trial for narcoterrorism, among other federal crimes.
“The President still has the possibility to do whatever is necessary to support and protect the national interests and national security of the United States,” Rubio said. “That being said, we always privilege a diplomatic solution,” he added, while reiterating that Cuba represents a threat to the national security of the United States.
