Miguel Díaz-Canel led a large event yesterday at the Palace of Conventions in Havana alongside members of the Our America Convoy, an initiative organized by Progressive International that brought together about 650 people from 33 countries under the slogan "Cuba is not alone."
In his X account, the leader appointed by Raúl Castro described the atmosphere as overflowing with "love and respect" and expressed gratitude that the participants covered their own travel and accommodation expenses.
Among the participants were former Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias, former British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, U.S. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Colombian senator Clara López, activist Hasan Piker, and the Irish rap group Kneecap. The event took place while the island is experiencing its worst economic and energy crisis in decades.
Before the assembly, the "appointed" proclaimed: "We will give our lives defending the Revolution," and expressed gratitude that the members of the convoy covered their own expenses, describing the gesture as "a beautiful lesson of dignity and humanism that heroic Cuba appreciates and will never forget."
The convoy, launched in February 2026 by Progressive International, emerged as a response to the energy crisis exacerbated by the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, when the Trump administration halted the shipments of Venezuelan oil to Cuba.
The initiative mobilized over 20 tons of aid: last Tuesday, the first air shipment with over 4 tons of medications and solar equipment arrived from Milan, valued at more than 500,000 euros.
Yesterday, the vessel named "Granma 2.0" set sail from Yucatán carrying 30 tons of food, medicine, and solar panels, with an expected arrival today.
The aid is distributed by the ICAP, a Cuban state agency, which has raised questions about whether the supplies actually reach the population or reinforce the regime.
This is not a minor detail, as Progressive International has direct ties to Havana: Mariela Castro, daughter of Raúl Castro and director of Cenesex, is part of its Advisory Council.
The political spectacle contrasts sharply with the reality faced by the Cuban people. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, Cuba could contract its economy by 7.2% in 2026, accumulating a decline of 23% since 2019. The electrical grid collapsed last Monday in a nationwide blackout, and electricity consumption has dropped by 50% according to satellite images.
80% of Cubans believe the current crisis is worse than the Special Period of the 1990s, a figure that contrasts with the optimism displayed at the event in the Palace of Conventions.
Reactions have been deeply divided. Pablo Iglesias downplayed the situation from a luxury hotel in Havana, stating that "it is certainly difficult, but not as it is being presented from the outside." A Cuban intellectual linked to the group Boca Ciega condemned the "solidarity performances" with the regime and the "folklorization of misery."
Garry Kasparov was more straightforward on X: "Why don't we exchange these idiots for an equal number of Cubans who want to live in the free world?"
The Cuban Kiele, responding to Greta Thunberg —who described the sanctions as a "brutal act of collective punishment"— summarized it precisely: "The suffering of the Cuban people is a direct result of the mismanagement of the Cuban state. The Castro regime and its military apparatus are worth billions, while the average Cuban struggles to find scraps of food on the street."
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