Milk, rice, beans, tuna: what the government promises to pregnant women and underweight children in Matanzas with donations from Mexico

The province of Matanzas began this week the distribution of part of the humanitarian donation sent by Mexico to Cuba, including products such as powdered milk, rice, beans, and tuna, which are being provided free of charge to pregnant women and children with low weight and height, according to (MINCIN) to the weekly publication Periódico Girón.

The delivery began on March 23 and 24 at the warehouses of the ration system, with annotations in the supply booklet. Beneficiaries have 30 days to collect the items from their arrival at retail establishments. The Minister of Domestic Trade, Betsy Díaz, specified that Matanzas is including children with low weight and height as well as pregnant women with products from previous shipments.

Since February 2026, Mexico has sent at least four shipments to Cuba. The first arrived on February 12 with 814 tons at the port of Havana; the second, on February 28, with 1,193 tons —including 92 tons of beans— aboard the ships ARM Papaloapan and Huasteco; the third, on March 13, with over 1,000 tons; and a fourth shipment of equal size was confirmed by President Claudia Sheinbaum. In total, the first three shipments amounted to more than 3,500 tons of rice, beans, lentils, skim milk powder, cookies, tuna, oil, and sardines.

The distribution prioritizes pregnant women, children aged 0 to 13 with low weight and height, seniors over 65 years old, and households in vulnerable situations. Provinces such as Pinar del Río, Mayabeque, and Isla de la Juventud completed their distribution before Matanzas, while Havana was nearly finished despite fuel limitations.

In Matanzas, nationally regulated beans are being sold for 285 Cuban pesos per pound, with limits set per family unit.

However, the arrival of these donations has been marked by controversy. A report by TV Azteca broadcast on March 4 documented that beans with the "Bienestar" brand—donated by Mexico—were being sold in TRD Caribe stores for $2.97 per half kilogram or $43 per 30-kilogram sack. TRD Caribe is a chain of foreign currency stores linked to the Cuban military and the business group GAESA.

Residents of Matanzas testified before the cameras of TV Azteca that the products had not reached the general population while the foreign currency stores were stocked after the arrival of the ships: "Nothing has reached the population", while the foreign currency stores filled up after the arrival of the ships, but not the people.