A third shipment of solidarity aid from Mexico arrived in Havana this Friday, March 13th, reaffirming the support of the Mexican government and people in the face of the intensifying crisis the Caribbean island is facing due to the U.S. blockade.
Through his social media channels, the Cuban Ambassador to Mexico, Eugenio Martínez Enríquez, confirmed the arrival of two Mexican Navy vessels. “On its third stop in Cuba this year, the ARM *Papaloapan* (A-411) and its crew confirm their status as key players in the generous aid provided by the Mexican government and people to Cuba,” reads the official’s post.
He added that “the ARM *Huasteco* and its crew are another key player in the generous contribution of Mexico and its people to the Cuban people, having safely and promptly transported the aid to Cuba.” According to Martínez, “just a few minutes ago, the President of Cuba recognized Mexico as the country that has stood out for supporting Cuba under current circumstances, and he also recognized its President.”
This Friday, while addressing the press regarding the expulsion of the Cuban diplomatic mission from Ecuador, President Miguel Díaz-Canel highlighted Mexico’s role as a benchmark for Latin American solidarity with Cuba.
President Claudia Sheinbaum and her government represent—in the words of the Caribbean island’s leader—the polar opposite of that equation: a country that does not yield to pressure and maintains a firm stance in defense of the Antillean nation on the international stage. READ ALSO:
Amid a context characterized by the tightening of the blockade imposed by the United States against the Caribbean nation, the Mexican government sent a shipment containing 1,193 tons of humanitarian aid in February.
At that time, the vessel ARM *Papaloapan* carried a cargo of 1,078 tons of beans and powdered milk; meanwhile, the ARM *Huasteco* transported 92 tons of beans and 23 tons of other food items.
During that same month—specifically on February 12—814 tons of basic foodstuffs and hygiene products, also originating from Mexico, arrived in Havana.
President Claudia Sheinbaum has emphasized on various occasions that assistance to Cuba reflects the spirit of fraternity that defines Mexican foreign policy. Furthermore, during her morning press conference this Friday, the President refuted claims regarding the alleged commercial resale of these donations, asserting that records exist demonstrating that the aid reaches households directly.
Recently, Ambassador Martínez Enríquez backed this statement, clarifying that Mexican products found in stores correspond to prior commercial imports—not to the humanitarian aid, which is distributed on a priority basis to children and the elderly.
“In no way shall the solidarity of the brotherly Mexican people—and the grateful reception by the Cuban people—be tarnished by the slander of media outlets complicit in the crime represented by the United States’ blockade against the Cuban people,” reads a post by the Cuban official on his official Facebook account.
Martínez added that “in recent months, new inhumane measures by the United States government have deprived Cuba of fuel, thereby impacting production capacity, basic services, and sources of livelihood, all driven by objectives of interference, destabilization, and domination.”
On January 29, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order authorizing Washington to impose tariffs on goods originating from countries that supply oil to Cuba, thereby exacerbating the impact of a blockade that has spanned more than 60 years and has already severely affected the economy and daily life of the Cuban people.
IMAGE CREDIT: The Cuban Ambassador to Mexico, Eugenio Martínez Enríquez, confirmed the arrival of two Mexican Navy vessels. Photo: @EugenioMtnez
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
