The United States government earmarked some 205 million U.S. dollars between 1996 and 2011 in a bid to topple the Cuban government, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

In an online statement, the ministry said the U.S. continued to fund schemes designed to bring down the government and undermine the socialist system, but masked the operations as pro-democracy.

These programs were carried out by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of State over the last eight years from former U.S. President George W. Bush's second term to Obama's first term, according to the statement.

The ministry noted that the fund does not include the 30 million U.S.dollars that Washington annually spends on "a failed policy at the expense of U.S. taxpayers," referring to a secret budget that finances the illegal broadcasting like Radio Marti and TV Marti in Cuba, and intelligence operations in support of anti-Cuban activists.

The money should "be better used in building a respectful relationship between the two countries," the ministry said.

Cuba said that during Obama's administration, the Washington-led economic embargo against Havana has become even more severe.

Since assuming office in 2008, Cuban leader Raul Castro has on several occasions offered to have dialogue with the U.S., but was ignored by Washington. Endi

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