The Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubiomet this Wednesday in Washington with the Cuban opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer, with whom he discussed the distribution of humanitarian aid for the island after the passage of the powerful Hurricane Melissa.
“The secretary expressed his admiration for Ferrer’s bravery and resilience in the face of the oppression of the Cuban regime, the threats against his life, and the ruthless treatment of him and his family,” the State Department noted in a statement.
Ferrer, founder of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (Unpacu), arrived in Miami in October as a political refugee, as part of an agreement between the Governments of Cuba, the United States and the Vatican.
The two spoke “about how Hurricane Melissa worsened the misery of the population of eastern Cuba, and Ferrer highlighted the importance of the United States’ effort to distribute assistance directly to the population in collaboration with the Catholic Church instead of partnering with the regime,” the statement added.
The Donald Trump Administration has sent emergency aid worth $24 million to Jamaica, Haiti, the Bahamas and Cuba, countries affected by the hurricane.
According to data from the State Department, Rubio authorized the delivery of 12 million for assistance to Jamaica; 8.5 million for Haiti, three million for “the people of Cuba” and 500,000 dollars for the Bahamas.
The head of US diplomacy, the son of Cuban migrants, reaffirmed during the conversation with Ferrer “the support for the Cuban people in their search for democracy, prosperity and fundamental freedoms.”
Likewise, he pledged “the continued support of the United States to efforts to promote accountability of the Cuban regime for its human rights abuses.”
