On Wednesday the GAO issued a report on U.S. funding initiatives designed to promote democracy in Cuba. The highly critical report concluded that these programs need better oversight and management. It pointed out the lack of competitive bidding for these programs. The report also documented examples of waste, including program funds that were used to buy Godiva Chocolates, cashmere sweaters, crab meat, Nintendo Game Boys, and Sony Playstations.

One of the purposes of these democracy initiatives was to supply to dissidents and others on the island goods and services that had been cut off by the U.S. embargo. Although the report stated that most of the means whereby the goods were delivered to Cubans were classified, one part of the report revealed the practice of paying “mules” $4 to $20 per pound to transport the donated goods to Cuba.

An immediate reaction to the report was a call for easing the embargo on Cuba, starting with recent restrictions on travel to Cuba. Jeff Flake, a Republican member of the House who is one of the members who requested the GAO report, said:

The U.S. has spent millions of dollars in democracy assistance to Cuba with little or nothing to show for it. When people see what we’re doing now and how taxpayers’ funds are being misused, I think they will demand a change in policy, particularly if they understand we can accomplish the same objectives simply by allowing family members to travel more frequently and take with them goods.

When a Republican member of Congress (albeit a somewhat independent-minded one) calls for loosening the Cuba embargo, it is not irresponsible to suggest that the 110th Congress, which will be controlled by Democrats, may revisit the 40-year-old embargo.

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