Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla launched a scathing attack on U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, on Saturday, accusing him of deliberately misrepresenting the figures and Cuba's response regarding the humanitarian aid announced by Washington since November 2025.
In his social media post, Rodríguez maintained that the Cuban regime's stance has remained unchanged: "Our government does not reject or obstruct aid that is offered without conditions, no matter how cynical and ridiculous it may seem."
The minister outlined the timelines of previous aid deliveries to question the seriousness of U.S. announcements: "It took them over six months to fully send the first aid package valued at 3 million USD. Nearly four months to send part of the 6 million USD announced."
Based on these figures, Rodríguez posed a rhetorical question regarding the 100 million dollars Rubio announced in May from Rome: "How long could it take them to fulfill the 100 million USD? What do 100 million USD mean when their economic blockade and energy siege cause annual damages exceeding 5 billion USD?"
Rodríguez concluded that "the Secretary of State and his Department have no real interest in implementing this aid promptly" and that "such lies and delays only highlight the propagandistic nature of these announcements."
Escalating Tensions Between Havana and Washington
This new exchange of words occurs amid rising tensions between Havana and Washington. On June 4, Rubio sanctioned CUPET and expanded measures against Díaz-Canel, his wife Lis Cuesta Peraza, Alejandro Castro Espín, and several Cuban state entities like MINFAR, the CDR, and ICAP.
Rodríguez has been responding to Rubio for weeks on social media. At the end of May, the minister accused Rubio of having a "sickly inclination" to provoke a military confrontation between the two countries.
Disputes Over Aid Packages
On May 12, Rodríguez himself denied having received a formal offer of the 100 million and deemed it a "fable," although he did not formally reject it. Three days later, Rubio insisted that the funds were "available right now" in food and medicine, provided they were distributed by organizations independent of the Cuban state.
The chain of announcements began in November 2025 when Washington allocated 3 million dollars in humanitarian aid for Cuba following Hurricane Melissa, as part of a regional package of 24 million. In February 2026, the State Department announced an additional 6 million in rice, beans, pasta, tuna, and solar lamps, distributed by the Catholic Church and Caritas.
Rodríguez wrapped up his post with a question summarizing the regime's official stance: "Wouldn't it be more humanitarian to lift the illegal energy blockade?"
Understanding the Cuba-U.S. Aid Controversy
What is the current stance of the Cuban government on U.S. humanitarian aid?
The Cuban government maintains that it does not reject or hinder aid offered without conditions, despite labeling some of the offers as cynical and ridiculous.
How long did it take for the U.S. to send previous aid packages to Cuba?
According to Bruno Rodríguez, it took over six months for the full delivery of the first aid package valued at 3 million USD and nearly four months to send part of the 6 million USD announced later.
Why does Bruno Rodríguez criticize Marco Rubio's announcements?
Rodríguez accuses Rubio of using the announcements as propaganda, lacking real interest in expediting aid deliveries, and deliberately misrepresenting Cuba's responses.