The Uruguayan deputy of Cuban origin Leydis Aguilera reported in an interview with CiberCuba that the military conglomerate GAESA receives powdered milk from the brand Conaprole and resells it to Cubans for dollars, amid the serious humanitarian crisis facing the island.
"The Cuban government, despite the humanitarian crisis the country is experiencing, is selling it to Cubans in dollars. It is GAESA that receives it and sells it in dollars," said Aguilera, who assumed the role of substitute deputy in the Uruguayan Parliament on March 10, 2026, becoming the first legislator of Cuban descent in the history of that chamber.
The parliamentarian pointed out that the Uruguayan left is aware of the existence of GAESA and that the Uruguayan government itself is informed about its trade with the Cuban regime.
"We have reported that, and the Uruguayan government is indeed aware," emphasized Aguilera, who represents the National Party and coordinates the Commission on Migratory Affairs of that party.
According to Aguilera, Uruguay sent 20 tons of powdered milk to Cuba as a humanitarian donation, coordinated with Mexico, but the final destination of that shipment remains uncertain. "We still don't know what is going to happen," the congresswoman warned.
What further complicates the situation is that the Mexican humanitarian aid coordinated with Uruguay has been declared secret by the Government of Mexico for the next five years.
The Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, Valeria Csusaki, confirmed in April that the 20 tons had not yet arrived in Cuba, according to verified information from La Diaria.
For Aguilera, the entirety of these operations is unacceptable. "It's all quite murky, and this is something we must denounce and closely monitor."
Uruguayan exports to Cuba in 2025 reached 8.6 million dollars, of which 74% were dairy products from Conaprole.
In Cuba, a 25 kg bag of powdered milk from that brand was sold in stores controlled by GAESA for 243 dollars, an unaffordable price for most Cubans who earn their salaries in pesos.
GAESA, the military conglomerate founded by Raúl Castro, controls at least 40% of the Cuban economy and has liquid assets estimated at over 18.5 billion dollars, enough to cover the island's annual food imports for more than nine years.
However, seven out of ten Cubans skip at least one daily meal, while CIMEX, a subsidiary of GAESA, prioritizes the sale of basic products in foreign currency that the population cannot afford.
Aguilera, who has harshly criticized the Uruguayan Broad Front for its ties to the Cuban regime, insisted that the complaint must remain active. "There are things that are necessary to advance towards freedom and democracy."
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