Some fear aid will help Castro

 BY ELAINE DE VALLE

 Cuban Americans in South Florida are struggling with the ifs and hows of sending humanitarian aid to victims of Hurricane Michelle in Cuba.

 "This is going to be controversial,'' said Ramón Saúl Sánchez, leader of the Democracia Movement, alluding to exile fears that aid might land in government hands and benefit Fidel Castro's regime instead of helping victims.

 "But there are times you have to put politics aside to take care of human beings,'' he said.

 The debate has intensified as Castro's government turned down U.S. disaster relief and offered to pay hard currency to buy American goods.

 Many exile activists and Spanish-language radio commentators say aid should go directly to dissidents or genuine non-governmental organizations for distribution -- not the government.

 But several anti-embargo or pro-Castro groups object to that approach and plan to have a press conference this morning to outline their own plans to send aid to Cuba.

 Alianza Martiana, the Alliance of Cuban Workers, the Antonio Maceo Brigade, the Cuban Committee for Democracy, the Cuban American Defense League, Jewish Solidarity, Rescate Cultural Afrocubano, the Cuban American Alliance and the Miami Coalition Against the U.S. Embargo will announce the formation of a Cuba Hurricane Relief Committee to collect and transport medicine, food and other relief items.

 "The donations will be given -- without conditions -- to the proper Cuban institutions responsible for their distribution to the needy population,'' said a statement from the groups.

 "We absolutely reject any attempt to condition in any manner donations offered to the Cuban people as the result of this natural disaster.

 "Only the enemies of the Cuban people could act in such a manner.''

 Joe Garcia, executive director of the Cuban American National Foundation, countered that Castro was the Cuban people's biggest enemy and could not be trusted to properly distribute donations.

 Like other anti-Castro activists, Garcia fears the government could exploit aid politically -- giving it as a reward to loyal revolutionaries and withholding it from dissenters.

 "What we have to do is see how we can help the people without propping up the regime,'' Garcia said.

 The foundation is taking cash donations through its Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba account. It plans to buy goods and send them directly to victims on the island, using dissidents, human rights activists and other avenues, Garcia said.

 "We've talked to several different countries which are going to help with distribution,'' Garcia said.

 Other groups are also funneling relief aid to dissidents across the island who can distribute it to the needy, they say.

 On her program on WQBA, Ninoska Pérez Castellón has urged people to send aid directly to people they know.

 "Or use Western Union to send to dissidents or the families of political prisoners,'' she said.

 "Anything that passes through Castro's hands will end up in the hospitals for tourists or the stores for diplomats.''

                                    © 2001