The governments of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are preparing a shipment of solidarity aid to Cuba following the decision adopted at the fifteenth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, held last month in St. Kitts and Nevis.
According to a press release published this week, the shipment will include powdered milk, baby formula, beans, wheat flour, rice, canned goods, basic medical supplies, solar panels, batteries, and water tanks.
The items will be purchased on behalf of the member states and shipped to Cuba through a collaborative agreement with the Government of Mexico, which has identified the suppliers and will facilitate delivery to the port of departure.
In addition, Mexico will provide free transport from its territory to Cuba, significantly reducing costs for the Caribbean governments.
At this meeting, a three-member committee was also established to coordinate the region’s relationship with Cuba. CARICOM leaders emphasized that the solidarity aid addresses critical needs on the ground in Cuba, while Caribbean countries navigate complex geopolitical calculations, balancing their historical ties with the island and their relationship with the United States.
The CARICOM Secretary-General is currently finalizing the purchase agreements, and the first shipment is expected to depart in the coming weeks.
In a previous statement, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum affirmed that her country is working to reactivate oil shipments to Cuba, amidst the tightening of the US embargo against the Caribbean nation.
During her regular press conference at the National Palace, Sheinbaum clarified: “Humanitarian aid is one thing, and the trade agreements we have with Cuba are another, and that also involves oil shipments.”
The president added that these trade agreements have been in place “for decades, this isn’t something new,” and that joint work with the Cuban government continues on both issues.
IMAGE CREDIT: The CARICOM Secretary-General is currently finalizing the purchase agreements, and the first shipment is expected to depart in the coming weeks. Photo: CARICOM.
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
