“At this time we are not in a position to provide any details of the announcement,” said the Foreign Minister of the North American country.
MIAMI, United States. – The Government of Canada announced this Monday that it is preparing an aid package for Cuba, at a time when the Island is facing blackouts and a serious fuel shortage that has also impacted transportation and commercial aviation.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the North American country, Anita Anand, avoided offering details about the content or date of the announcement, but confirmed that Ottawa is working on an assistance plan.
“We are preparing a plan to help. At this time we are not in a position to provide any details of the announcement,” Anand stated, according to a report from The Associated Press (AP).
The energy crisis in Cuba worsened after Venezuela — once Cuba’s main oil supplier — ended its shipments following the United States military operation in early January that led to the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
The outlook for the largest of the Antilles worsened after Mexico, the other most important supplier of fuel to the Island, suspended its shipments due to pressure from the United States.
In this context, several airlines canceled flights due to lack of aviation fuel on the Island, including Air Canada. The airline itself reported that it was suspending its service to Cuba due to a “shortage of aviation fuel.”
With the announcement of a humanitarian aid package, Canada joins Mexico, which has already sent two Navy ships with “more than 814 tons” of food for the Cuban civilian population; and Chile, which last Thursday advertisement a contribution to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to collaborate with the response to the “humanitarian catastrophe” that Cuba is experiencing.
The Chilean Foreign Ministry justified that the situation on the Island “has been aggravated by the tightening of the economic and energy blockade” and reiterated its rejection of “any unilateral measure or sanction” when it directly affects people’s living conditions.
Although the official statement from the Chilean Government did not detail the amount of aid, Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren confirmed that the country would allocate 1 million dollars to the Island and stressed that it was assistance channeled by an international organization. “We do not finance dictatorial regimes; we provide assistance through international humanitarian organizations,” declared.
