By Syara S. Massip
International solidarity and the defense of human rights converged in Cuba with the arrival of the humanitarian mission “Rumbo a Cuba” / “Heading to Cuba,” spearheaded by the NGO Open Arms and more than 150 civil society organizations.
The activities began at Casa de las Américas, in an event that brought together figures from Cuban culture and civil society, and served as a prelude to the arrival of the sailboat “Astral” in the port of Havana, scheduled for Sunday, July 19th.
Saturday’s event at Casa de las Américas was a space for encounter and reaffirmation of solidarity. The institution’s president, Abel Prieto, welcomed the international delegation, highlighting the importance of the spiritual and political support this mission represents, and reminding them that Cuba is not alone. The event was attended by prominent figures such as MEP Ana Miranda (BNG), who is leading the political delegation, as well as the Palestinian Ambassador to Cuba, His Excellency Ammar Zorba, representatives of the diplomatic corps, and young Palestinian and Sahrawi students residing in Cuba.
Miguel Urbano, organizer of the campaign, explained that the main objective is to denounce the United States’ economic blockade against Cuba, which he described as a war crime. “It’s just one ship, but we want to be a flotilla,” he stated, emphasizing the intention to link the Cuban cause with that of other peoples suffering under pressure, such as Palestine and Western Sahara.
During the evening, the documentary “To Kyma: Rescue in the Aegean Sea” was screened. The film portrays the work of Open Arms rescuers on the island of Lesbos (Greece) during the 2015 refugee crisis, where they risked their lives to save thousands of people fleeing the wars in Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The screening of this film, which reveals the origins of the organization’s humanitarian mission, underscores the consistency of its current mission in Cuba.
The arrival of the sailboat “Astral” on July 19 marks a milestone for Open Arms; it will be the first vessel belonging to a civilian organization to cross the Atlantic.
The sailboat “Astral” will dock at the Havana port cruise terminal at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday. The vessel, which departed from Barcelona on May 24th and has made stops at various ports, including one in Mexico, is carrying vital supplies for the Cuban healthcare system.
Thanks to a fundraising campaign that raised over €170,000, with more than 4,000 individual donations, the ship is bringing 110 photovoltaic solar panels, inverters, and batteries. This equipment is intended to ensure the energy self-sufficiency of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), intermediate care unit, and clinical laboratory at the Juan Manuel Márquez Pediatric Hospital.
The goal is to guarantee the operation of incubators and other vital equipment in the face of the frequent power outages that plague the island. In addition, various medical supplies, consumables, and equipment will be delivered, along with a donation of books for the pediatric oncology unit’s
The “Rumbo a Cuba” mission has a strong political component. The international delegation accompanying the ship’s arrival is headed by MEP Ana Miranda, who has described the US blockade as a “collective punishment, illegal, inhumane, and extraterritorial.” Her presence, along with that of other Spanish political, trade union, and social organization representatives, aims to highlight the humanitarian impact of the blockade and the need to break it. Open Arms founder Óscar Camps emphasized that, although they are not transporting as many tons of supplies as they would like, they are carrying “what little humanity remains in the European Union.”
The arrival of the “Astral” and the delegation’s activities, which include meetings with Cuban institutions, symbolize the international civil society’s commitment to building bridges and reciprocating the solidarity that Cuba has offered the world in the healthcare sector.
IMAGE CREDIT: Laura Lanuza and Miguel Urbano together with Graciela Ramírez, general coordinator of the International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity to the Peoples.
[ SOURCE: www.cubainformacion.tv ]
