Related videos:
Miguel Díaz-Canel published a message of thanks to Mexico and Uruguay on Monday following the arrival in the port of Havana of the cargo ship Asian Katra carrying 1,700 tons of rice, beans, and milk, amidst the worst economic and energy crisis Cuba has faced in decades.
"In the name of the Cuban people, we express our deepest gratitude for the new shipment of solidarity aid from Mexico and Uruguay, two nations to which we are united by great affection," wrote the Cuban leader in his post on the social network X.
The shipment, which departed from Asipona Pajaritos in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, includes approximately 20 tons of powdered milk supplied by Uruguay and logistically shipped from Mexico.
The Cuban Minister of Food Industry, Alberto López, received the ship and expressed "deep gratitude to each of the crew members and authorities who made this noble mission possible."
Díaz-Canel took the opportunity to attribute the crisis to the U.S. embargo, describing it as a "direct and multidimensional impact" on the daily lives of the Cuban people, and he thanked Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum "for her leadership and firm commitment."
This is the latest of a series of Mexican shipments that began in February 2026, when Mexico suspended its oil exports to Cuba following the signing of Executive Order 14380 by Trump, which imposed secondary sanctions on countries that supply crude oil to the island.
Sheinbaum ruled out resuming oil shipments—arguing that Cuba "is receiving oil from Russia"—and redirected support towards food, medicine, and hygiene products.
Since then, Mexico has accumulated over 3,125 tons of humanitarian aid sent to the island.
The Mexican ambassador to Cuba, Miguel Ignacio Díaz Reynoso, described this arrival as the eighth shipment from Mexico, although the AFP agency counts it as the fifth due to differences in the counting method.
Uruguay joined the initiative in late March, when its chancellor Mario Lubetkin described the shipment of powdered milk as "a sign of solidarity."
However, the Uruguayan government conditioned a second shipment of 17 tons on receiving proof of effective distribution, amid concerns regarding the final destination of the aid.
These questions are well-founded: a report by TV Azteca showed in March "Bienestar" beans of Mexican origin—allegedly donated—available for sale in TRD Caribe stores linked to the military conglomerate GAESA, which was additionally sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on May 7, 2026.
Aid arrives as Cuba faces blackouts of up to 24 hours daily across more than 55% of the territory, with generation deficits exceeding 1,900 MW during peak hours.
The Energy Minister, Vicente de la O Levy, admitted last Monday that Cuba had "absolutely no fuel, no diesel, only associated gas."
More than 117,000 children do not receive their daily milk ration, and nearly 96,000 patients are waiting for surgery on the island, figures that demonstrate that shipments of solidarity, as welcome as they are, are insufficient in the face of the structural collapse caused by 67 years of communist dictatorship.
The only significant energy relief in 2026 came from Russia in March, with 100,000 metric tons of crude oil donated, although Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov himself warned in April that "this assistance will likely last a couple of months," with no new shipments confirmed.
Filed under: