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The province of Mayabeque has started the free distribution of four pounds of rice per consumer, corresponding to the donation of over 30,000 tons that the People's Republic of China has provided to Cuba as emergency assistance.
The announcement was made by the official Mayabeque Commerce account last Wednesday on Facebook.
The Chinese ambassador in Cuba, Hua Xin, also echoed the news with a message on X: "Every grain of rice is a reflection of the solidarity and affection of the Chinese people. We will continue to work together for a better future!".
The released images show state warehouses in the municipality of San José de las Lajas, where workers weigh and distribute cereal to consumers using mechanical scales, as part of the Cuban rationing system.
Armando García Mesa, the director of Commerce for the province, reported that the free distribution is gradually progressing throughout all municipalities and includes all consumers from each household, and that it will continue until the social consumption needs of the territory are met.
On March 26th, the ship Loyalty Hong arrived in Havanawith 15,600 tons of rice donated by China.
According to official reports, this shipment is part of a larger donation of 30,000 tons announced in January, under the framework of cooperation agreements between the two countries.
On March 27, China dispatched rice to Cuba again with a new shipment of 15 thousand tons that set sail from the port of Shanghai as part of an emergency aid program of 60 thousand tons approved by Beijing.
The distribution has not been without criticism. Many Cubans have described the deliveries as crumbs after crumbs, while other voices have denounced the food insecurity that persists in households. A Cuban grandmother summarized the plight starkly: "all we eat is rice, the old and the children".
The donation is part of a larger commitment, as China announced the shipment of 60,000 additional tons in a second round of food assistance to the Island.
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