Juanson World

As far as natural disasters go, it would seem that Haiti, the poorest country in the hemisphere, always receives the brunt of the damage. Earthquakes and hurricanes have devastated the nation in recent years which has compounded its turbulous political unrest.

Hurricane Dennis has not spared Hispañola, and neighboring Cuba has suffered as well. The storm has caused almost $1.5 billion dollars in damage and is responsible for at least 16 deaths. The fact that Fidel Castro has denied aid offers from the US and Europe raises some interesting questions:

But Castro says he turned down a U.S. offer of $50,000, and would spurn even $1 billion -- if it came from Uncle Sam. ''Cuba will not accept humanitarian aid from the United States, which imposes a criminal blockade, or from any of the European governments that took aid away under the pretext of human rights violations,'' the Communist Party daily Granma reported in a story paraphrasing Castro's comments.

The political war of words continues, with both sides advancing ill-advised and hypocritical stances. The US should relax travel restrictions, as this case illustrates the need for Cuban exiles to be able to travel to the island to provide aid to their relatives. And Castro's rhetoric will only continue to alienate those still on the island, who must suffer through this natural disaster with their leader taking a hard-line stance against possible relief from abroad.