The Government of the Canary Islands acknowledged this Wednesday that it has been unable to send food or medicine to Cuba for over a month, a situation that particularly affects elderly people, the sick, and vulnerable families within the large Canary community and their descendants on the island.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Action, José Luis Perestelo, explained before a committee of the regional parliament that there is currently no effective way to acquire those products and deliver them to Havana.
"At this moment, we are unable to send even a single container of food, as we have been able to in the past months, or of medicines because there is a total blockade," he stated, according to Atlántico Hoy.
As an emergency alternative, the Canary Executive managed to channel small aid of up to 200 euros for those in need through a Cuban bank. However, Perestelo stated that the financial institution later refused to make further transfers.
The Canarian authorities are conducting efforts through the Embassy of Spain and the Consulate General, as well as other actions through the Directorate General of Migration, although the Deputy Minister acknowledged that the situation is "very complicated."
The challenges have also impacted the support and associative structure that has been built over the years around the Canary community in Cuba. According to Perestelo, services such as the medical office, the day center for the elderly, and the cultural group Renacer have been lost.
This is compounded by the weakening of some associations due to the lack of generational succession.
"Once those executives who drove it are no longer around, it begins to fade away; those connections have been lost, and it becomes increasingly complicated," he lamented.
During the hearing, Coalición Canaria deputy José Manuel Bermúdez estimated that there are about 70,000 Canarians and their descendants residing in Cuba and highlighted the situation of the elderly, sick individuals who require continuous treatments, children, and families with limited resources.
"Citizens are not to blame for the political regime in which they live, they are not responsible for the situation they are in, nor are they culpable of the geopolitics," stated Bermúdez.
The interruption represents a setback for a partnership that had gained traction amid the worsening living conditions on the island. Over the past two years, the Canary Islands allocated 1.2 million euros to cooperation funds in Cuba, which were used to send food and medicine.
In May, the governments of the Canary Islands and Spain coordinated an expansion of assistance for around 70,000 Canarians and their descendants. Given the challenges faced by many Spanish financial institutions in operating with Cuba, prepaid cards had also been enabled to channel part of the aid.
The Canary Islands' cooperation has also enabled the shipment of food to social assistance programs. Previous deliveries include 48 tons of frozen chicken and 5.5 tons of canned chicken intended for the Family Support System in Villa Clara.
The difficulties also coincide with a recent tightening of U.S. financial regulations related to Cuba, although Perestelo did not directly attribute the paralysis of Canary shipments to these measures. Since September 30, banks subject to U.S. jurisdiction can no longer process certain transactions known as "U-Turn," although the new regulations explicitly maintain authorizations for family remittances and humanitarian shipments of food, medicine, and medical devices.
The suspension of shipments comes amid a serious health crisis. This Wednesday, the leader Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged during the second broadcast of his radio program Criterio Compartido, on Radio Rebelde, the severe shortage of medications that Cuba is experiencing. In August, he had already stated that only 30% of the basic medication list was available, which means that seven out of ten essential drugs are missing from the state system.
Bermúdez emphasized that the historical connection between the Canary Islands and Cuba compels the archipelago to maintain its "solidarity vocation," and he called for political, financial, and logistical difficulties not to further exacerbate the situation of the most vulnerable families.
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