The statement is not 100% exact but close enough for a reasonable person (e.g., claimed 70% vs. actual 65%). Learn more in Methodology.
The U.S. coordinates with the Catholic Church in the delivery chain to enable aid to reach intended Cuban recipients without interference by the Cuban government.
Official U.S. government documents and multiple independent reports confirm that the United States is coordinating with the Catholic Church in Cuba to distribute the $3 million in U.S. humanitarian assistance for victims of Hurricane Melissa. A State Department fact sheet explicitly states, “We are working closely with the Catholic Church to ensure assistance reaches the Cuban people directly and without regime interference,” and a parallel press statement by the Secretary of State says the U.S. is working “in close partnership with the Catholic Church in Cuba” to ensure aid reaches people “directly, without interference or diversion by the illegitimate regime.”
However, independent reporting notes that Cuban authorities still control customs and the operating environment, and it is “unclear if Cuba will allow” the aid as envisioned, making the claim that assistance is delivered “without regime interference” partly aspirational and not fully verifiable in practice. The evidence strongly supports that the U.S. is coordinating with the Catholic Church and intends to bypass the regime, but it does not conclusively demonstrate that all aid reaches beneficiaries entirely free of regime involvement. The verdict is Close because the coordination with the Catholic Church is accurate and well-documented, while the stronger implication that assistance is actually delivered entirely “without regime interference” overstates what can be verified at this time.