They have raised over $1,400 to help the victims of Hurricane Melissa in Santiago de Cuba

In a new gesture of solidarity, the Cuban diaspora has quickly responded to the call for help made by independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, who from the United States organized a campaign to support families affected by the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa in eastern Cuba.

In just 48 hours, the initiative raised $1,424, an amount that, as Mayeta explained on Facebook, will be transformed into bundles of basic food and emergency supplies that will be sent directly to the hardest-hit families in Santiago de Cuba, without intermediaries or state structures involved.

"The people are raising the people, as always," wrote the activist while thanking those who have donated, shared, or promoted the initiative.

The communicator highlighted the immediate and generous response of the Cuban community abroad, which continues to organize itself to expand the impact of the campaign. "One dollar may seem little, but when thousands come together, all of Cuba breathes," he expressed in his message.

The fundraising is part of other similar efforts launched from Miami, Madrid, and Mexico City, where Cubans in exile have set up humanitarian aid networks to send food, medicine, and clothing to the areas most affected by Melissa, particularly in the provinces of Santiago, Granma, and Holguín, where isolated communities continue to lack access to basic services.

The case of this campaign—driven by civil society and independent of state institutions—reflects an increasingly evident reality: it is the Cubans themselves, both on the island and abroad, who are taking on the effort to rebuild what the regime has either been unable or unwilling to address.

The Cuban diaspora has once again demonstrated its strength and commitment to the island. Its goal is clear: to ensure that the aid reaches those who truly need it and does not fall under the control of the state apparatus, which in previous crises has been accused of withholding or redistributing international donations in an opaque manner.

While the regime maintains its political discourse and the country faces blackouts, shortages, and disorganization, the people —both inside and outside the island— continue to show that the true strength of Cuba lies in the unity and solidarity of its citizens.