The members of the Our America Convoy were received at the Havana Convention Center by President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez and other Cuban leaders. The mission aims to deliver humanitarian aid and send a message against the blockade imposed by the United States.
Boats from the convoy continue to arrive in the Cuban capital, while organizers indicate that the action seeks to provide material resources and reaffirm international solidarity with Cuba.
Fernando Pereira, president of Uruguay’s Broad Front, said that the mission is an act of internationalism and emphasized the importance of upholding the principles of development, justice, equality, and solidarity with the island, according to TeleSur.
Medea Benjamin, an American activist and founder of CODEPINK, asked volunteers from the United States to raise their hands and stated that the action seeks to document the crisis in Cuba to inform members of Congress and citizens of her country, as well as to demand an end to the blockade.
Her remarks concluded with a resounding “Long live Cuba!” echoed by the attendees.
The meeting brought together more than 650 visitors from 33 countries, including members of parliament, legislators, ambassadors, and activists, as well as representatives from some 140 political, religious, cultural, and labor organizations.
During the meeting, Díaz-Canel expressed his gratitude for international solidarity and condemned the United States’ pressure on Latin America to isolate Cuba.
The president cited recent decisions by Ecuador and Costa Rica to downgrade their diplomatic relations with the island and the withdrawal of medical missions from Jamaica, Guatemala, and Honduras. At the same time, he highlighted Mexico’s cooperation and the position of President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Díaz-Canel also noted the interception of a speedboat loaded with weapons in late February in Cuban waters and denied that Cuba poses a threat to the United States, in response to Trump’s executive order imposing a unilateral oil embargo on January 29.
The Our America Convoy, promoted by Progressive International and the Let Cuba Live campaign, is transporting tens of tons of humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and solar panels. Organizers emphasized that the initiative not only delivers resources but also sends a message of solidarity and reaffirms that “Cuba is not alone.”
The shipment departed from Puerto Progreso, Yucatán, on Friday, March 2, carrying food, medicine, and medical supplies. The operation aims to address shortages of basic goods, especially in vulnerable sectors, and the convoy will continue its journey to Cuba for the direct delivery of supplies, with public monitoring of the distribution.
Before setting sail, dozens of volunteers carried boxes of medicine, water, rice, beans, powdered milk, canned food, bicycles, and 73 solar panels to the 75-foot fishing vessel, named Granma 2.0.
“Solidarity cannot be blocked,” said Thiago Ávila, a 39-year-old Brazilian, one of the 32 participants who traveled to Mexico to board the ship. Among them are also members of the European Parliament, U.S. labor leader Christian Smalls, and a delegation from the Democratic Socialists of America, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Two other flotillas bound for Cuba departed the same Friday from Isla Mujeres, Mexico. The organizers, who received the Cuban government’s approval, seek to replicate international aid initiatives, such as last year’s flotilla to Gaza, which was intercepted by Israeli forces.
The convoy’s departure comes at a critical time for Cuba. This week, the national power grid collapsed, causing a nationwide blackout—the third in four months. Blackouts have become a part of daily life; gasoline prices are skyrocketing, and tens of thousands of surgeries have been postponed.
The international movement, called Convoy Our America, seeks to deliver more than 20 tons of aid and confront the isolation imposed by Washington.
“We cannot let this go unchecked and unanswered,” said David Adler, coordinator of Progressive International, one of the flotilla’s main organizers.
Although the Trump administration renewed an emergency order to intercept vessels bound for Cuba registered in the United States, the Granma 2.0 sails under the Mexican flag and is therefore not subject to the measure.
The volunteers are confident that the supplies will be delivered directly to hospitals and clinics, bypassing the Cuban state. However, local logistics are being supported by the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), which has been identified in CIA reports as a front for Cuban intelligence services.
Source: laopinion
