U.S. offers $6.3M in construction materials to Cuba

Posted on Mon, Sep. 22, 2008
U.S. offers $6.3M in construction materials to Cuba
BY FRANCES ROBLES
After seeing the first three of its aid packages for Cuban storm victims rejected, the U.S. government on Friday told Havana it could provide $6.3 million in light construction materials to benefit hurricane victims, U.S. officials said.
The Cuban government has yet to respond to the latest offer made by the U.S. State Department, U.S. officials said Sunday night.

On Friday, the U.S. State Department delivered the latest offer of $6.3 million in corrugated zinc roofs, nails, tools, lumber, sheeting and light shelter kits to benefit some 48,000 people.

''What we tried to do was base our next offer on what they said they needed: construction materials,'' said U.S. Agency for International Development's Jose Cardenas, acting assistant administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean. ``We did not want to be in a position like we were standing idle while seeing these destruction reports from the island. We are still trying to proceed as a disaster relief agency, as if this were the Dominican Republic or Jamaica.''

The latest proposal comes on the heels of a diplomatic clash between Havana and Washington over two devastating storms that hit the island in as many weeks. When Hurricane Gustav slammed into western Cuba on Aug. 30, the U.S. government offered $100,000 in aid and a disaster assessment team, a standard initial response to natural disasters.

Cuba turned it down, saying an assessment team was an unnecessary pretext. When Ike hit the east and west coasts of Cuba, destroying thousands of buildings in its path, Washington came back with the identical aid package. Cuba blasted it and asked for a temporary reprieve from the U.S. embargo instead.

Washington came under heavy criticism for playing politics during a time of need and was widely condemned for insisting on the assessment team and making such a paltry initial offer.

The U.S. Agency for International Development went back a third time, lifting the conditions and increasing the aid to $5 million in goods and cash.

''It's obvious that such a powerful government cannot comprehend that a nation's dignity has no price,'' retired president Fidel Castro wrote in a column published last week. ``If instead of $5 million it were billions, they would find the same response.''

The Cuban government's official response said what the nation really needed was credits to purchase construction materials. The U.S. embargo prohibits American companies from selling such materials to Cuba on credit. Current law allows food and lumber sales paid upfront in cash.

Castro criticized Washington for making public statements that suggested Washington had allowed more cash sales since the two storms, when in fact the amount of sales has remained the same.

''In the three weeks since Hurricane Gustav hit western Cuba, concern for the well-being of the Cuban people has been growing and getting aid to them is our top priority,'' U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said in a statement. ``Reports from news agencies and relief organizations that have visited the island indicate that as many as 2.5 million Cubans remain without homes. We understand the difficulties caused by such devastating storms, and we want to give the people of Cuba the materials needed to begin to recover.

``We hope the Cuban government will consider our genuine offers of assistance and that the best interests of the Cuban people will come before political differences.''

Cardenas said $1.7 million of Washington's aid is already making its way to Cuba through nongovernmental organizations. Should Cuba reject this latest offer, some of the materials could be donated to aid groups as well, he said.

''I don't suspect this will go on much longer,'' Cardenas said. ``We'll have to donate cash and commodities to different organizations. I don't think we will go back to the well if they reject this offer.''

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