Catholic groups to distribute aid, bypassing Cuban government
MIAMI — A cargo plane carrying 700 packages of food and hygiene kits left Miami for Cuba on Tuesday, the State Department said, as the United States pursues a dual approach of delivering humanitarian aid directly to the island’s residents while maintaining economic pressure on the Cuban government.
The flight represents the first $60 million tranche of a total of $100 million the U.S. previously offered to Cuba, according to the State Department. Catholic groups inside Cuba will distribute the items directly to recipients, bypassing the Cuban government.
The Associated Press reported that the shipment comes after months of intensified U.S. pressure on the Cuban government and government-related institutions, focused mainly on imposing significant sanctions against the country’s military and intelligence apparatus. The imposition of an energy and oil blockade has practically paralyzed the Cuban economy and the daily lives of people on the island, according to the AP.
The State Department on Monday released a lengthy document accusing Cuba of running a vast espionage and left-wing influence operation in the United States over the past five decades, the AP reported.