Breaking the U.S. blockade and supplying photovoltaic panels to a pediatric hospital in Cuba are the objectives of a humanitarian mission that will set sail from Spain to the Caribbean island, Prensa Latina reported.
The flotilla, “To Cuba,” will depart on May 10 from the port of Barcelona aboard the Astral, a ship belonging to the Open Arms association. The mission will last approximately one month, with the stages taking place from May 13th to the 28th, according to organizers’ estimates.
The crew has scheduled stops in Valencia, Málaga, Cádiz, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria before crossing the Atlantic.
Up to four people will board the ship at each leg of the journey to accompany the group. These individuals include members of the cultural community, public officials, and influencers.
In statements to the press, the director of Open Arms, Óscar Camps, assessing the dynamics of emergencies in different contexts, highlighted the presence of Cuban medical brigades.
“These are professionals who are part of a long-standing tradition of international solidarity, present in highly demanding situations and with a continuity that doesn’t depend on media attention; and this constant presence has made all the difference in many contexts,” he noted.
Camps stressed that the time has come to reciprocate this practice with actions and “give back a portion of that solidarity wherever we can contribute.”
The NGO Open Arms and the Ecoo Solar Revolution Cooperative, along with leftist groups and labor, social, and political organizations, are promoting this action, which seeks to further highlight the global rejection of the US economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed on Cuba.
In an interview with Prensa Latina, Camps stated, “We hope to personally deliver all the photovoltaic equipment to ensure that, at the very least, the hospital’s intensive care unit can care for newborns and the vulnerable population in need of medical assistance.”
The solar panels for the Juan Manuel Márquez Hospital in Havana, which faces hardships imposed by the U.S. embargo, intensified by the Trump administration, will be transported aboard the Astral.
[ SOURCE: AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS ]
