Some Cuba grant recipients are world travelers

Earlier today I posted new information on organizations that received USAID and State Department grants this fall. See post entitled, "More details on $18 million in Cuba grants."
I also wrote a post about the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba. See "Cuba Money Trail: Tale of two Miami non-profits."
Several readers over the past few weeks had asked me to write something about a new award given to the FHRC.
As I looked into that, some other grant expenses caught my eye. The Directorio Democratico Cubano, a non-profit in Miami, reported to the IRS more than $13.5 million in expenses from 2005 to 2009.
Directorio expenses reported from 2007 to 2009 included:

• $913,166 for travel 
• $2,278,713 for salaries, wages and employee benefits 
• $330,704 for solidarity committee offices in Europe, and Central and South America
• $550,055 for program services in foreign countries

Specific foreign countries cited included:

• Dominican Republic, $200,557 
• Argentina, $126,412 
• Mexico, $56,936 
• Costa Rica, $58,988 
• Czech Republic, $13,968 
• Slovakia, $20,118 
• Spain, $73,076 

I'm not taking issue with the struggle for greater freedom in Cuba, but it seems clear there is a stark difference in the way the FHRC and the Directorio use Cuba grant money.