Cuba accepts $140m American aid offer, Rubio confirms
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Havana government has accepted a package covering fuel, food and electrical-grid materials. It is a surprise diplomatic step that follows the Castro indictment.
At a press conference in Washington, Marco Rubio confirmed that the Cuban government has accepted a $140 million humanitarian aid offer extended via the United Nations. The package includes about $60 million for fuel, $40 million for food assistance and $40 million for electrical-grid repair materials.
The move comes just two days after the US Department of Justice indicted former leader Raúl Castro on murder and conspiracy charges related to the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue plane attack. Rubio underlined that the two events should be assessed independently; the aid package responds to electricity blackouts and food shortages on the island.
Responding for Havana, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said the aid was accepted on the condition that it 'carries no political strings'. Reactions from the Cuban-American community in Florida were mixed: some lawmakers described the move as a 'door opening', while others said it could overshadow the Castro case.
More from Australia-Pacific
Snowy Hydro executives paid $1.2 million in bonuses as project costs spiral
Executives at Australia's largest renewable energy project received bonuses in fiscal 2026 even as costs ballooned from A$5.9 billion to A$12 billion. An independent audit report has triggered sharp criticism.
Aspiration has changed since the Howard era. This budget is finally catching up
Treasurer Jim Chalmers's 2026-27 budget proposes a sweeping reorientation of housing, childcare and education incentives. According to ABC analysis, the budget breaks with the middle-class identity of the John Howard era and refocuses on a younger generation of renting voters.
Will drastic NDIS overhaul repeat the mistakes of the past?
Australia's planned overhaul of the National Disability Insurance Scheme is raising fears that the cuts could repeat the mistakes of the 1980s deinstitutionalisation wave. Advocates and health experts warn sudden changes could leave a serious care gap.