Cuba Receives Humanitarian Aid Amid Economic & Energy Crisis | AP News
HAVANA — A ship carrying humanitarian aid, including solar panels, bicycles, food, and medicine, docked in Havana on Tuesday as Cuba faces a deepening economic and energy crisis. The vessel, dubbed “Granma 2.0” in a nod to the ship that brought Fidel Castro to Cuba in 1956, arrived from Puerto Progreso, in Mérida, Mexico.
Approximately 30 people were aboard the ship, the first of three expected to arrive as part of the “Our America Convoy to Cuba,” a response to the island’s severe blackouts and a crumbling power grid exacerbated by a U.S. Energy blockade. Activist Thiago Ávila, speaking to reporters as he disembarked, described the U.S. Policy as “economic warfare” and a violation of international law.
“These ships are a drop in an ocean of need…at the same time, it’s a gesture of solidarity,” Ávila said.
The aid convoy includes over 650 participants from 33 countries who arrived in Cuba last weekend, bringing tons of aid and receiving a welcome from President Miguel Díaz-Canel. Among those present were British parliamentarian Jeremy Corbyn, Colombian Senator Clara López, Spanish politician Pablo Iglesias, and U.S. Labor leader Chris Smalls. The Irish hip-hop group Kneecap also participated in the effort.
The current crisis stems from a U.S. Oil blockade imposed by the Trump administration in late January, intended to pressure Cuba’s political leadership. This action compounded existing economic difficulties resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and prior U.S. Sanctions. Cuba is currently experiencing widespread transportation shortages, reduced working hours, flight cancellations, and frequent power outages, including two island-wide blackouts in recent days.
According to Cuba’s Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines, Argelio Abad Vigo, the country has gone three months without receiving shipments of essential fuels – diesel, fuel oil, gasoline, jet fuel, and liquefied petroleum gas – all critical for both the economy and electricity generation. Cuba currently produces only 40% of the fuel it requires.
The situation is further complicated by disruptions in fuel supply chains. A Hong Kong-flagged vessel, initially reported to be carrying 200,000 barrels of diesel from Russia to Cuba, has instead docked in Venezuela, according to vessel tracking data from MarineTraffic.
Leaders from several countries and organizations have warned of a potential humanitarian crisis in Cuba. Aid has been arriving from Mexico, China, Brazil, Italy, and non-governmental groups within the United States, typically distributed free of charge through the state-run network of food stores, unless donors specify a particular destination, such as hospitals.
The U.S. Embassy in Havana recently requested permission to import diesel for its generators, but the Cuban government refused the request, according to two U.S. Officials familiar with the matter. The State Department is considering a reduction in staffing at the embassy due to the fuel shortage, a move that could prompt a reciprocal reduction in Cuban embassy staff in Washington.
President Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio have publicly stated their willingness to pursue a change in Cuba’s political system. Although authorities from both countries have acknowledged ongoing talks, details remain undisclosed.