MIAMI — Frequently accused by Cuban government officials of supporting dissidents and plotting to overthrow the regime, the U.S. Agency for International Development recently took what seems an unprecedented step and sent personal protective equipment for firefighters to Cuba following a devastating fire at an oil storage facility in August.
USAID’s involvement in response to the fire at the Matanzas Supertanker Base that killed 16 people, many of them firefighters, is another step in recent U.S. efforts to re-engage with the Cuban government, as concerns among Biden administration officials about the humanitarian situation on the island grow.
But the agency has been unable to certify where the firefighters’ uniforms — known as PPE, for personal protective equipment — actually went or even if they arrived at their final destination, congressional sources told the Miami Herald.
