Chinese President Xi Jinping approved a new round of aid to the Island, which includes emergency financial assistance valued at 80 million dollars and a donation of 60,000 tons of rice, as reported by the Presidencia de Cuba.
The information was officially conveyed to the leader Miguel Díaz-Canel during a meeting at the Palace of the Revolution with the Chinese ambassador in Havana, Hua Xin.
According to the official version, the funds will be allocated for the acquisition of electrical equipment and to cover other "urgent needs" of the country, in a context marked by the collapse of the national electric system and a social crisis that severely affects millions of families.
The Chinese diplomat himself communicated that he had received direct instructions from his government to convey the decision to the Cuban authorities, following a series of high-level contacts between officials from both countries.
In those conversations, he acknowledged, the serious economic situation in Cuba and the deterioration of the electrical system were addressed, issues that the official narrative again attributes to the U.S. embargo.
Beyond the announcements, the aid arrives at a particularly sensitive moment for the population. Rice, a staple of the daily diet for Cubans, has become an increasingly difficult product to obtain, and when it does become available, it often comes at prices that are unattainable for many salaries.
The arrival of 60,000 tons in "emergency mode," as emphasized in the official statement, points directly to a food crisis that can no longer be concealed.
Díaz-Canel expressed gratitude for Beijing's support and highlighted the state of bilateral relations, as well as other ongoing projects with Chinese backing, including initiatives related to solar energy, digital transformation, and high-definition television.
However, for the average Cuban, the question is how much of this aid will actually translate into concrete relief for daily life, which is characterized by a lack of electricity, food, and hope.
Chinese aid comes in an extremely adverse international context for Havana. In recent days, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, has raised his rhetoric against the Cuban regime.
After the capture of Nicolás Maduro and the collapse of chavismo as the economic support for the Island, Trump warned that "there will be no more oil or money" from Venezuela and advised the Cuban authorities to "make a deal before it's too late".
Shortly thereafter, the leader was even more explicit when stating that Cuba "is hanging by a thread". In a television interview, he described the country as "in great trouble" and suggested that the regime is nearing a breaking point, precisely due to the loss of external support that had kept the system alive for years.
Although he acknowledged that the collapse has been predicted many times, he left a phrase that resonates strongly both inside and outside the Island: “I believe they are quite close.”
Without Venezuelan oil, Cuba has had to seek fuel in distant markets, even in Africa, while blackouts extend up to 20 hours a day in some provinces. Hospitals operating at half capacity, families cooking with charcoal, and suppressed nighttime protests are part of a scenario that recalls the worst moments of the Special Period.
Filed under: