MADRID, Spain.- The president of Claudia Sheinbaum announced this Friday that the Government of Mexico will send humanitarian aid to Cuba no later than next Monday, in response to a request made by the Island’s authorities.
During your morning conferenceSheinbaum specified that the shipment will be composed “mainly of food and other supplies,” and that the shipment could be completed even earlier, during the weekend, depending on logistics.
The president pointed out that the decision occurs in a context of diplomatic efforts related to the oil supply to Cubaafter Mexico temporarily suspended these shipments due to the possibility of sanctions by the United States on countries that provide fuel to the Cuban Government.
Sheinbaum pointed out that his administration maintains communication with Cuba through diplomatic channels and that the objective is to avoid economic or commercial effects for Mexico, without ruling out an eventual direct dialogue with the Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel, if necessary.
The president stressed that, while talks on the energy issue continue with the United States, the sending of humanitarian aid remains a separate action, of an assistance nature.
«We have been in all the diplomatic work to be able to forward oil to Cuba. Obviously we do not want sanctions for Mexico, but we are in that dialogue process,” he expressed.
This shipment had been announced last weekwhen Sheinbaum expressed that Mexico would seek to maintain the supply of basic products and assistance without confrontation, although he did not detail the scope of the shipments.
The announcement comes in the midst of the energy and economic crisis that the Island is going through, aggravated by fuel shortages and prolonged blackouts recorded in recent months.
On the other hand, the United States Government announced this Thursday another 6 million dollars in “direct assistance” for the Cuban population, which —according to Washington— will be distributed through a channel designed to reduce the risk of interference or diversion by the Cuban State.
The statement signed by a spokesperson for the State Department maintains that the money is added to previous aid and that it will be supported by “the alliance” recently announced with the Catholic Church and Caritas. In this framework, assistance will be delivered “by the same channel as the first 3 million”, through pre-packaged products transported from Miami and delivered by representatives of local parishes.
Washington affirms that the method “has proven to be highly effective” in preventing “the failed Cuban regime” from interfering with or diverting aid destined for “the needy population” of the Island.
