Thursday, November 16, 2006

by Randy Nieves-Ruiz

MIAMI, USA (AFP): Poor monitoring of millions of dollars intended to support Cuban dissidents has led to such excesses as the purchase of Godiva chocolates and Sony PlayStations at US taxpayers' expense, according to an official audit released on Wednesday.

Of 10 aid recipients audited, three were found to have "questionable expenditures," the General Accounting Office, an investigative branch of the US Congress, said in its report.

It mentioned one recipient who "could not adequately justify" the use of US Agency for International Development (USAID) funds to buy such items as "a gas chainsaw, computer gaming equipment and software (including Nintendo Gameboys and Sony PlayStations), a mountain bike, leather coats, cashmere sweaters, crab meat, and Godiva chocolates."

The group was not identified in the report, but the Miami-based Cuban Democratic Action (ADC) group admitted making such purchases with the funds, intended to provide humanitarian assistance for dissidents in Cuba.

"We don't consider it illogical that people eat chocolate in Cuba," said ADC treasurer Guillermo Castilla, stressing that such shipments were fairly rare. "Crab meat we did send more regularly," he told AFP.

He also insisted the coats and sweaters were far from a waste of money.

"There are important opposition leaders who meet diplomats in Cuba, or dignitaries who visit Cuba, it is logical they should be dressed decently," said Castilla.

The report also questioned some of the salaries paid by one of the US-based groups that oppose the communist regime of Cuban President Fidel Castro, as well as trips and expenses paid to the relative of an administrator.

The audit reviewed the use of 65 million dollars given to 34 US-based groups to support pro-democracy movements in Cuba between 1996 and 2005.

"Internal controls ... do not provide adequate assurance that the grant funds are being used properly," the report said, citing a lack of "formal review or oversight procedures for monitoring granting activities."

The GAO also highlighted difficulties in getting the assistance to Cuba.

"Given the Cuban government's repressive policies and opposition to US democracy assistance, grantees employed a range of discreet methods" to get the aid to the communist-run, island nation.

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