Foreign ministry cites trade ban; aid workers to get money anyway

By TRACEY EATON / The Dallas Morning News

HAVANA – Cuba on Monday dismissed $50,000 in U.S. hurricane aid as a "ridiculous and humiliating hand-out."

But American officials say they are distributing the money to independent humanitarian workers anyway.

U.S. officials in Havana refused to say precisely who is receiving the funds but emphasized that the money isn't going to the socialist government.

Hurricane Charley ripped across the island Aug. 13, killing five Cubans and damaging thousands of homes.

Cuba's Foreign Ministry published a statement Monday saying that it would not accept the aid from the United States, which in recent months has tightened its already strict ban on trade with Cuba.

"It's obvious the American government suffers from total amnesia," the statement said. "Otherwise it would be impossible to understand how it could pretend to assume the role of benefactor to the Cuban people just after once again tightening the cruel blockade."

American officials say they were merely responding to Cubans' need for help.

Three Cubans died in the hurricane after buildings collapsed, one after a palm tree struck his home, and a fifth victim drowned.

The hurricane leveled or caused the partial collapse of nearly 3,000 buildings in Cuba.

In all, at least 20,000 homes and other buildings were damaged, state-run media reported, and a million of the island's 11.2 million people were affected.

Thousands of Communist Party loyalists have since been cleaning up hundreds of tons of rubble, utility poles and trees.

Loyalists of Cuban leader Fidel Castro say Cubans have plenty of solidarity with storm victims and don't need U.S. help.

They object to American aid going to independent nongovernmental groups, saying some have been subversive.