The sailing ship Astral, from the Spanish NGO Open Arms, arrives this Friday at the port of Havana after more than two months of journey from Barcelona.
This is a new fleet in support of the regime. The Naiz portal reported that this time, more than seven tons of donations are being transported, including medicines, essential supplies, and photovoltaic solar panels.
The mission, framed within the "Rumbo a Cuba" platform, was officially presented on March 19, 2026, before the Congress of Deputies in Madrid, drawing inspiration from the visibility strategy used by the flotilla that headed to the Gaza Strip.
Cubadebate published a brief note that did not provide details about the arrival of the flotilla, but it claims that the donations are "intended to support the population" amid the economic crisis the country is experiencing.
The ship departed from Barcelona on May 11, making stops in Valencia, Málaga, Cádiz, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria before crossing the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea. On board for the entire journey is Óscar Camps, director of Open Arms, who stated during the stop in the Canary Islands that "blockades are meant to be broken, and it is civil society that breaks them."
A central component of the shipment consists of photovoltaic equipment intended for the intensive care unit of the Hospital Pediátrico Juan Manuel Márquez in Havana, where they will be installed to ensure electrical supply in one of the most critical areas of the center.
Along with the Astral, a political delegation is traveling to Cuba by air. Among its members are the MEP Ana Miranda Paz from the Bloque Nacionalista Galego in the Greens-European Free Alliance group, and Miguel Urbán, leader of Anticapitalistas and co-founder of Podemos.
Miranda Paz described the initiative as "the first civilian vessel to cross the Atlantic to go to Cuba" and lamented the lack of media coverage it received.
"We want to convey our support to the Cuban people for the situation they are experiencing of absolute blockade and its consequences on health and food," he said.
The itinerary of the delegation in Havana includes meetings with the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel, with authorities from the National Assembly, and with the singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez, as well as visits to the Galician Center of Havana and the García Lorca Theatre.
The mission is supported by Spanish political parties such as EH Bildu, Sumar, Podemos, Esquerra Republicana, Catalunya en Comú, Compromís, and BNG, as well as social organizations like Ecologistas en Acción. The fundraising campaign collected 63,609 euros out of a goal of 100,000 euros, with 1,031 donors.
The flotilla arrives at a time of unprecedented energy crisis in Cuba, with five widespread blackouts recorded so far in 2026, and power cuts lasting up to 20 hours a day in Havana.
The flotilla "Nuestra América," organized by global leftist movements with figures like Jeremy Corbyn, arrived in Cuba in March 2026 with about 50 tons of aid, a larger operation than that of the Astral.
Related videos:
Filed under: