Cuba humanitarian aid deal puts Catholic Church in control as regime teeters

MIAMI — The need for food, medicine and other basic essentials across Cuba is the most dire it has ever been — and it’s one reason why a crucial meeting took place Wednesday on the island between Cuban religious organizations and U.S. diplomat Mike Hammer, aimed at getting supplies to the people.

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The agreement calls for at least $60 million in humanitarian aid, provided by the Trump administration, to be controlled by the Cuban Catholic Church. Another $40 million would be handled by trusted non-governmental organizations, though still under challenging conditions.

But getting that aid where it needs to go is easier said than done.

“I spoke to the Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba not too long ago and he says the logistics of it is — they have no gasoline to deliver some of the humanitarian aid. Even in the region of Santiago de Cuba, it is very difficult,” said Local 10 News Cuba analyst Andy Gomez.

Gomez believes Cuba is on the brink of a historic change.

“At this instance, the situations are so bad that they’re gonna need help from the outside,” he said.

There is some talk of the U.S. military stepping in to help fill the gap in delivering foreign aid, but that scenario is unlikely to have the blessing of the Cuban regime.

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“By allowing the U.S. military to go in, then you’re gonna have 8.3 million Cubans demanding much more and that is the fall of the regime — and they know that. And that’s what Cuba does not want,” Gomez said.

Meanwhile, a meeting is set for Thursday with Cuba’s National Assembly, economists and President Miguel Diaz-Canel, billed as a meeting to evaluate proposals for economic and social transformations. Gomez isn’t buying the framing.

“I think it’s basically saying behind closed doors — uh oh, where do we go with this?” he said.

When asked if it amounts to a crisis meeting, Gomez didn’t hesitate.

“I think it’s a crisis meeting,” he said.

Gomez questions what economic reforms Cuba could realistically introduce in that meeting besides approving new laws to attract foreign investment. Multiple analysts agree that Raul Castro, Diaz-Canel and the rest of the regime know their power is on the verge of collapse.

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