Volunteers from Cáritas Pinar del Río arrived this Saturday directly at the homes of the most vulnerable families in the municipality of Candelaria to distribute food and hygiene kits sent from the United States.
The organization reported on its Facebook account that the first deliveries were made in six rural communities: Mango Dulce, Bayate, La Picadora, Tabaco Rubio, El 20, and Barrancones, all of which belong to the municipality of Candelaria, which administratively is part of the province of Artemisa, but is under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the diocese of Pinar del Río.
The shipment, consisting of 700 food kits and 700 hygiene modules, arrived at José Martí International Airport in Havana on Thursday, welcomed by the diocesan bishop Mons. Juan de Dios Hernández Ruiz and Abel Castillo López, director of Cáritas Pinar del Río.
Cáritas selected the beneficiaries with the support of parish volunteers who conducted home visits beforehand to identify those in greatest need. The selection criteria prioritize elderly individuals living alone, pregnant women or those in the breastfeeding period with identified risks, children under the age of five in precarious situations, and people with disabilities or those who are bedridden.
"Each visit left traces of deep emotion and gratitude. More than just material relief, these resources represent a helping hand, a gesture of brotherly love, and the assurance that no one should feel forgotten," says the post on Facebook.
The food modules include rice, beans, oil, brown sugar, pasta, sardines, and tuna. The hygiene kits contain soap, detergent, toothbrushes and toothpaste, water purification tablets, sanitary products, a bucket, a 20-liter container, and a rechargeable lamp.
The distribution in Candelaria is part of the 100 million dollar humanitarian program announced by the Trump administration in May 2026, from which 60 million is channeled through Caritas Cuba and Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and 40 million through other independent organizations.
The program's design explicitly excludes the Cuban regime as an intermediary. CRS acquires supplies in the United States, and Cáritas distributes them on the island through its diocesan and parish networks, without the government receiving cash or controlling the delivery chain.
The territorial expansion has been gradual. The first flight departed from Miami in July with about 18 tons of supplies, initially distributed in Bejucal and Alquízar. It then arrived in Villa Clara in September, and in October the program reached Camagüey, Ciego de Ávila, and Pinar del Río.
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