Tons of support flows into Cuba as humanitarian convoy lands on struggling island

[ad_1] HAVANA (AP) — Some 650 delegates from 33 nations and 120 organizations started arriving in Cuba on Friday as a part of a solidarity caravan transporting some 20 tons of humanitarian support because the island grapples with a extreme vitality disaster.

Members of “Our America Convoy to Cuba” arrived by air from Italy, France, Spain, the USA and several other Latin American nations, and extra are scheduled to reach by sea on Saturday in a flotilla of three vessels from Mexico, organizers reported.

A gaggle of activists arrived in Havana on Wednesday prematurely and delivered donations to hospitals.

The go to comes amid heightened tensions between Cuba and the USA, whose governments have acknowledged holding talks after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed an oil embargo. Earlier this week, Trump stated he anticipated to have the “honor” of “taking Cuba in some kind,” including: “I can do something I need.”

Photo voltaic panels, meals and drugs to deal with most cancers are among the many merchandise donated to the island, which has been brought to a near standstill since Trump imposed an vitality embargo in January, exacerbating a five-year financial disaster as his administration pressures for a change within the political system.

“Ultimately, we're dozens and dozens of delegates, and we signify tens of millions of individuals on this convoy,” stated David Adler, a U.S. citizen and coordinator of Progressive Worldwide, one of many caravan’s organizers. “We can not enable this collective punishment. We can not normalize it.”

In the meantime, Cuban Deputy International Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío on Friday refuted feedback a couple of change within the political system or the potential departure of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel as a part of the continuing talks between the 2 sides.

“The Cuban political system will not be up for negotiation, neither is the president, nor the place of any official in Cuba, topic to negotiation with the USA or with the federal government of another nation,” stated Fernández de Cossío.

He famous there are lots of areas of widespread curiosity on which dialogue with Washington is feasible, as has been accomplished prior to now.

Manolo de los Santos, of The Individuals’s Discussion board — one other of the caravan’s organizers — stated that going to Cuba right now will not be solely “defying the U.S. blockade,” but in addition stopping “one other Gaza within the Americas.”

A number of analysts and regional leaders, together with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, have warned of a potential humanitarian disaster in Cuba.

Adler stated that each the flotilla that traveled to Gaza and the one heading to Cuba share a number of supporters. Within the case of Cuba, along with social activists, unions, outstanding figures and political events are represented, together with Morena from Mexico, the Employees’ Social gathering of Brazil and the Broad Entrance of Uruguay.

A few of the figures embrace British Parliamentarian Jeremy Corbyn; Colombian Senator Clara López; former Spanish politician Pablo Iglesias; U.S. labor chief Chris Smalls; and Brazilian humanitarian activist Thiago Ávila.

After a number of weeks wherein the one support acquired by Cuba got here from Mexico, which despatched meals and hygiene merchandise on three events, activists and leaders in different nations started establishing help teams and amassing donations.

Díaz-Canel expressed his gratitude on social media.

“They bring about shipments of support to fight the try and suffocate us. Welcome as soon as once more to the compassion of the folks. Solidarity all the time returns to those that apply it with no different curiosity than human well-being,” the president said.

For its half, Brazil introduced it will ship 20,000 tons of meals, primarily rice, beans and powdered milk. A gaggle of Chilean parliamentarians additionally arrived with support on Thursday, and China reported by means of its embassy {that a} ship carrying 60,000 tons of rice set sail for Cuba.

___

Comply with AP’s Latin America protection at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init({ appId : '870613919693099', xfbml : true, version : 'v2.9' }); };

(function(d, s, id){ var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); [ad_2] Source link