Overview
- The State Department, which restated the proposal on Wednesday, conditioned the $100 million in help on “meaningful reforms” and wider internet access and said Havana is blocking life‑saving aid.
- Cuba rejected that account, as Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said no such proposal was received and called the claim a lie while urging Washington to end fuel restrictions.
- U.S. officials said any funds would move through the Catholic Church and other independent groups and would include support for fast and free online access.
- Cuba’s energy crunch has deepened, with data cited by multiple reports indicating blackouts hit about 65 percent of the island on Tuesday, and residents in Havana neighborhoods protested outages with pot‑banging and street chants.
- The public push follows new U.S. sanctions last week on a Cuban military conglomerate that controls a large share of the economy, building on earlier $6 million in Church‑routed aid as part of a broader pressure campaign.