Rubio meets U.S. envoy to Cuba to discuss the island’s situation

Marco Rubio met the head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana as Washington increases pressure on Cuba and examines how to deliver humanitarian aid without involving the Cuban government.

Mike Hammer briefed the U.S. secretary of state on the current situation on the island, according to the U.S. Embassy in Havana. The embassy said they also discussed Washington’s support for “the aspirations of the Cuban people to live in freedom and dignity.”

The meeting included discussion of $100 million in humanitarian assistance allocated by President Donald Trump’s administration. The money is to be distributed through organizations such as Caritas, with the stated aim of preventing the funds from reaching Cuba’s government.

The account places the talks within a broader escalation in U.S. policy toward Havana. It says Washington imposed an energy blockade on Cuba after Nicolás Maduro was captured in Venezuela in January, worsening the island’s economic and social crisis. Trump has also threatened to take control of Cuba.

Havana says only the Cuban people can decide the country’s future. Cuban authorities accuse the United States of preparing the ground to justify a possible military intervention.

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the aspirations of the Cuban people to live in freedom and dignity