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The ship Asian Katra docked this Sunday at the port of Havana with 1,700 tons of food and essential supplies from Mexico and Belize, in a new shipment of humanitarian aid to the island, where the government is unable to meet even the basic needs of the population.
The arrival of the shipment occurs amid a severe humanitarian crisis that Cuba is experiencing in 2026, characterized by a severe shortage of food, fuel, and basic goods, a situation that worsened after Hurricane Melissa passed through in November 2025.
This is not the first time that the Asian Katra, flying the Panamanian flag, has docked in Havana with this type of cargo.
On May 18, the same ship arrived at the Cuban port with tons of rice, beans, and milk —approximately 1,672 tons in total— this time with support from Uruguay, which contributed around twenty tons of powdered milk shipped from Mexican territory.
That shipment in May set sail from Asipona Pajaritos, in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, and was received in Havana by the Cuban Minister of Food Industry, Alberto López. The Cuban state media classified it as the eighth shipment from Mexico, while AFP counted it as the fifth, due to differences in counting methods.
The regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel has taken advantage of each of these arrivals to reinforce the message that "Cuba is not alone," framing international aid as an expression of solidarity with the Revolution, without acknowledging that the crisis is a direct consequence of decades of failed economic management under the dictatorship.
International aid to Cuba in 2026 has been extensive and multifaceted. Colombia sent approximately 100 tons of solar panels, food, medical equipment, and essential supplies at the beginning of June.
Catalonia approved assistance of 440,000 euros in May, of which 290,000 euros were allocated to the UN World Food Program.
The European Union allocated an additional two million euros in April for food and drinking water, and Spain made shipments in February and March with food and sanitary kits.
However, the internal distribution of all this aid has faced serious difficulties. According to reports from the Catholic Church and Caritas, the shortage of fuel prevents aid from reaching those who need it most in the interior of the country.
This is compounded by reports of the sale of donated products in foreign currency stores, something the Cuban government has systematically denied, but which fuels the population's distrust regarding the real fate of the shipments.
Belize, which had already participated in the emergency response following Hurricane Melissa in November 2025, is now directly contributing to regular shipments, consolidating a network of external support that, despite its growing volume, fails to mitigate the structural deterioration caused by 67 years of communist dictatorship on the island.
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