U.S. Offers Cuba “Aid” While Crushing its Economy

The U.S. announced last week $6 million in aid to be delivered by the Catholic Church and the Catholic charity group Caritas.

The aid is meant primarily for people living in eastern Cuba who are still grappling with the effects of Hurricane Maria, which hit the island in October. The U.S. previously sent $3 million in hurricane-related aid — two months after Melissa struck Cuba. It’s a drop in the bucket compared to what’s needed for hurricane relief. According to the UN, around $74 million is necessary to meet immediate needs in the areas of health, water, sanitation, shelter and education.

The hypocrisy is glaring: The Trump administration is sending rice, beans, pasta, cans of tuna and solar lamps to some Cuban families while it engineers a humanitarian crisis to exact collective punishment on the entire population.