HAVANA (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said on Wednesday the United States is being frustrated in attempts to provide aid for victims of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike by a Cuban government intent on playing politics.
Instead of accepting the offer, Cuba has said it would be more helpful if the United States dropped its 46-year-long trade embargo against the island.
Cuba's talk of the embargo 'obviously seems to have the ring of politics overriding the needs of the people' and 'has nothing to do with humanitarian aid,' Gutierrez told Reuters in a telephone interview from Washington.
'We believe we could be of great help to the Cuban people, but the offer was rejected, and it's very frustrating because we want to help,' he said.
But Cuba in a rare move said it would accept aid from the United Nations, said John Holmes, the UN's humanitarian affairs chief. He said the aid would total up to $3.5 million(2 million pounds).
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