The UN Resident Coordinator for Cuba, Francisco Pichón, warns that the lack of fuel on the island is preventing the distribution of humanitarian aid worth $6.3 million, in a context where the tightening of the US blockade is severely hindering access to basic resources.
According to statements reported by news agencies, Pichón stated: “I am aware that some 170 containers of essential humanitarian goods that have already arrived in Cuba, representing approximately $6.3 million, are not reaching the intended recipients due to fuel shortages.”
The UN representative explained that the organization’s mission on the island is conducting “a bidding process to contract private operators capable of importing fuel into the country.” He added, “We are considering all options, including collaboration with the non-state or private sector in Cuba, which has been authorized and has been able to receive some limited fuel supplies.”
When asked if the United Nations had received authorization to import gasoline, Pichón confirmed that “talks are underway” between the organization and US representatives to the UN “to try to reach an agreement that will allow fuel to be delivered to Cuba.” “These talks are ongoing, and we hope to have a solution soon that guarantees the operational viability of our entire plan,” he added.
So far, Cuba has only received one oil shipment from Russia, which, “they said, is about 100,000 tons or 700,000 barrels,” enough to cover about 12 or 13 days. Pichón also emphasized that “Mexico is one of the countries most involved in finding a solution to guarantee access to humanitarian oil,” while confirming that “no Venezuelan fuel has arrived in the country.”
Last January, the United States halted oil shipments from Venezuela to Cuba after the illegal kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro and the killing of one hundred people by the U.S. military, and President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on countries that supplied crude oil, in an attempt to intensify the siege on the island. The White House stated last week that it will decide “on a case-by-case basis” whether to authorize the arrival of oil tankers to the Caribbean nation.
This new humanitarian alert highlights once again the consequences of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States, which hinders even access to fuel for strictly humanitarian purposes, despite international calls for its lifting.
IMAGE CREDIT: UN Resident Coordinator in Cuba, Francisco Pichón. Photo: Cubadebate.
[ SOURCE: www.cubainformacion.tv ]
