US sends first humanitarian flight to Cuba under new aid package

WASHINGTON, July 21 - The U.S. on Tuesday sent a humanitarian flight to Cuba, the State Department said, the first part of a new $100 million assistance commitment that comes alongside U.S. moves to increase pressure on the island's communist-run government.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio in May said the U.S. was offering Cuba an unprecedented aid package, designed to help Cuba's people but not its government, even as Washington has blocked most oil shipments to the Caribbean island and piled on financial sanctions.

Cuban officials were initially wary of the aid offer and rejected U.S. calls for political reforms, blaming the U.S. for power outages and shortages, but appear to have agreed to accept the assistance amid talks with Trump administration officials.

The State Department said the aid on Tuesday, which included food and hygiene kits for up to 700 families, was being delivered by Catholic Relief Services and followed $9 million in earlier U.S. support distributed by the Catholic Church.

"Building on the success of the previous program, the direct delivery of humanitarian commodities by local parish representatives in the island will ensure critical U.S. assistance reaches everyday Cubans in need, without any opportunity for regime diversion or theft," the department said. REUTERS