The Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel thanked the Brazilian leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva this Wednesday for a donation of 48 tons of powdered milk received in Santiago de Cuba, and assured that the product will be primarily allocated to children in the eastern provinces.
In a message posted on his X account, Díaz-Canel wrote: "Our deepest gratitude to our brother President @LulaOficial and his noble people for the valuable donation of powdered milk. This gesture of genuine solidarity, received in Santiago, will be particularly directed to the children of the eastern provinces. Thank you #Brazil!".
The official delivery ceremony was led by the Brazilian ambassador in Cuba, Christian Vargas, who handed over the shipment to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (MINCEX). Representatives from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Landless Workers' Movement of Brazil also participated in the ceremony.
The 48 tons arrived in Cuba on two flights from the Brazilian Air Force: the first transported 16 tons from the Canoas Air Base in Rio Grande do Sul on July 13; the second carried 32 tons from Porto Alegre on July 14.
Both flights landed this Wednesday in Santiago de Cuba. The decision to send assistance was made on July 9 during a meeting led by Lula, and the coordination was entrusted to the Brazilian Agency for Cooperation, with food supplied by the National Supply Company (Conab).
The shipment occurs amidst a serious milk supply crisis in Cuba, acknowledged by the government itself. The Minister of Food Industry, Alberto López Díaz, admitted on June 6 that the official distribution plan is "impossible to meet," with more than 100,000 children not receiving their daily ration.
National milk production has decreased by 37.6% in the recent period, and the plan aims to supply powdered milk to 331,000 children and liquid milk to 200,000, targets that are not being met.
This donation adds to a larger shipment announced by Brazil in March 2026, which included 20,000 tons of rice, 150 tons of black beans, and 500 tons of powdered milk delivered through the WFP. Cuba has an outstanding debt of 676 million dollars to Brazil with no plans for repayment.
International donations to Cuba have been marked by controversy. Cuban deputy Leydis Aguilera denounced in May 2026 that donated powdered milk was being sold in state-run stores in dollars, controlled by the military conglomerate GAESA, for 243 dollars per 25-kilogram bag.
Uruguay has arrived to demand proof of the final destination of its own donation to ensure that it does not end up in commercial circuits. The Cuban regime has systematically denied these accusations, claiming that the products are distributed free of charge to children, pregnant women, and vulnerable individuals.
The eastern provinces, designated as the destination for the Brazilian donation, have received several recent shipments: just four days before the arrival of this cargo, 66 tons of milk donated by Mexico were transported to Santiago de Cuba and Granma, destined for Guantánamo and the Isle of Youth.
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