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 impacts the elderly, the sick, and vulnerable families within the large Canarian community and their descendants on the island.
The Deputy Minister of External Action, José Luis Perestelo, explained before a commission of the regional Parliament that there is currently no effective way to acquire those products and deliver them to Havana.
"In these moments, we cannot send even a container of food as we have been able to do in the past months or of medicine because there is a total blockade," he stated, according to Atlántico Hoy.
As an emergency alternative, the Canarian government 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 new transfers.
Canary authorities are maintaining negotiations through the Embassy of Spain and the General Consulate, as well as other actions through the Directorate General of Migration, although the deputy counselor acknowledged that the situation is "very complicated."
Perestelo also lamented the weakening of some Canary Islands associations in Cuba due to the lack of generational replacement, a situation that has led to the gradual loss of ties with the Canary Islands and the disappearance of services such as the medical clinic, the day center for seniors, and the cultural group Renacer.
"Once those executives who were driving it are no longer around, it fades away; those connections are lost and it becomes increasingly complicated," he noted.
During the hearing, the deputy from Coalición Canaria, José Manuel Bermúdez, estimated that there are around 70,000 Canarians and their descendants living in Cuba, and he highlighted the situation of elderly individuals, sick people who need ongoing treatments, children, and families with limited resources.
"Citizens are not to blame for the political regime they live under, they are not responsible for their situation, nor do they bear any blame for geopolitics," affirmed Bermúdez.
The interruption represents a setback for a cooperation that had gained importance amid the deterioration of 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 medical supplies.
In May, the governments of the Canary Islands and Spain coordinated an expansion of assistance for about 70,000 Canary Islanders and their descendants. Due to the challenges faced by various Spanish financial institutions in operating with Cuba, prepaid cards were also made available to channel part of the aid.
The Canary Islands' cooperation has also enabled the sending of food to social assistance programs. Previous shipments include 48 tons of frozen chicken and 5.5 tons of canned chicken destined for the Family Care System in Villa Clara.
The difficulties coincide with a tightening of U.S. financial restrictions related to Cuba, although Perestelo did not directly attribute the halt of Canary shipments to these measures. Since September 30, U.S.-jurisdiction banks can no longer process certain transactions known as “U-Turns.” Nevertheless, U.S. regulations continue to allow certain remittances and humanitarian operations related to food, medicine, and medical devices, subject to conditions.
The suspension of shipments comes amid a severe health crisis. This Wednesday, the ruler 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 absent from the state system.
Bermúdez insisted that the historical connection between the Canary Islands and Cuba compels the archipelago to maintain its "solidarity vocation" and called for political, financial, and logistical difficulties not to further worsen the situation of the most vulnerable families.
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