Bulk Cargo Ship Arrives in Cuba Carrying Aid from China
Aid shipments are continuing to arrive in Cuba despite the U.S. efforts to apply pressure on the Communist government of the Caribbean island. In the latest development, a Chinese-owned cargo ship arrived in Havana carrying what is reported to be the first of several major aid shipments coming from China.
The bulk cargo ship Sunny Hong (33,847 dwt) was received in Havana by a government delegation on Saturday, May 23, thanking the Chinese for their support. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel called the shipment in a social media posting a “noble gesture of solidarity.”
The vessel arrived carrying 15,000 tons of rice from China. The ship had left Qingdao on April 1 and transited the Panama Canal on May 8, but has largely been dark since then despite declaring it was bound for Cuba.
Cuba’s Minister of Interior Trade, Betsy Diaz Velazquez, said it was greatly needed, and it would be immediately distributed to all the provinces. Media reports have indicated that Cubans are experiencing food shortages as the U.S. blockade and pressure campaign continue. According to Cuban officials, China has committed to sending a total of 60,000 tons of grain to Cuba.
Chinese rice shipment being offloaded in Havana (Ministerio del Comercio Interior de Cuba)
The shipment follows the arrival a week earlier of another aid ship coming from Mexico. Cuban officials said they have received over 3,125 tons of aid from Mexico, including food, medicine, hygiene products, and solar panels, although critics claim little of it is reaching the average Cuban.
At the same time, the Christian charity Saint’Egidio International reported that it had dispatched another container on May 15 from Genoa bound for Cuba. They said it is loaded with medicine, medical supplies, and wheelchairs, valued in total at approximately €700,000 (US$815,000). On May 9, another container from the charity reached Havana carrying 22,000 kg of rice and flour, and the charity said another container with 24,000 kg of food aid is also on its way to Santiago de Cuba. Continuing into June, the charity plans to ship additional containers with oil, flour, vegetables, and sugar. It said it expects to send one container to Havana and a second one to Santiago.
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However, there is no additional word on a second Russian oil shipment that was believed to have left Europe in April. The product tanker Universal’s last reported position was in the middle of the Atlantic, displaying “waiting for orders.” After making its first oil delivery earlier in the month, Russia had said it was preparing a second delivery.
Despite these efforts, there continue to be reports of widespread outages on the island. The country has used the first Russian oil shipment and can only produce about 40 percent of its oil needs. Blackouts have become common across the island.
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