US turns down Cuban hurricane pleas

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the United States is not prepared to relax its trade embargo against Cuba, despite Cuban pleas in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Gustav. Ms Rice said the embargo would only be lifted if Cuba held free elections and released political prisoners.
The Cuban foreign minister had asked the US to allow assistance from US citizens or companies, and permit Cubans to purchase food in the US. Gustav has caused severe damage in Cuba, with thousands of houses destroyed and millions of euros-worth of damage.

Radio Netherlands Worldwide

"Let's just stop for a minute and tell the truth about U.S. Cuba policy. It's dictated by a few hardcore Cuban-Americans, who live principally in Florida, and who pay vast sums of money into the political coffers of such luminaries as Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Ray Martinez, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, and others."  The Havana Note