The United States has publicly offered $100 million in humanitarian assistance to Cuba, conditioned on the island's communist government agreeing to "meaningful reforms," the State Department announced Wednesday.

The Trump administration claimed it had previously made the offer privately but is now restating it publicly. The statement puts the onus on the Cuban regime to accept or reject the aid, warning of accountability to the Cuban people if it refuses.

This move is part of an ongoing pressure campaign to destabilize Cuba's communist leadership. Since the Cold War, the US has maintained a comprehensive trade embargo on Cuba, the longest-running in modern history, justified by alleged repression under the communist government.

The crisis escalated in January after Trump abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a close Cuban ally. Subsequently, Trump cut off Venezuelan funds and oil to Cuba and threatened penalties against any country supplying fuel to the island, effectively imposing an oil blockade.

The United Nations warned earlier this year that Cuba faces a humanitarian "collapse," with public transportation halted, food prices soaring, and hospitals struggling with power outages. Cuba relies heavily on imported oil, with only 40% produced domestically.

The State Department blamed the communist system for enriching elites and condemning Cubans to poverty, without mentioning the US role in the crisis. It stated that if accepted, the aid would be distributed through the Catholic Church and other independent humanitarian organizations, bypassing the Cuban government.

Source: www.aljazeera.com