Mexico City, Mexico — President Claudia Sheinbaum reported Sunday that humanitarian aid will be sent to Cuba this week. She explained that while the issue of sending oil to Cuba is being resolved diplomatically, they are working on humanitarian aid for the Cuban people.
President Sheinbaum made the announcement Sunday from Guaymas, Sonora. She said the aid package from Mexico will include food, supplies and essential items. The aid will be delivered to Cuba this week through the Mexican Navy.
“This week we are planning humanitarian aid to Cuba. It’s aid that the Mexican Navy will provide consisting of food and other items while we diplomatically resolve everything related to sending oil for humanitarian reasons.
“We are already doing the work to be able to send humanitarian aid in the meantime, which the Cuban people need including other essential supplies which are important,” she explained.
She made the announcement Sunday while in the state of Sonora after the inauguration of the Guaymas Port expansion project.
Sheinbaum pointed out that not once during any of the conversations she has had with U.S. President Donald Trump has the issue of sending Mexican oil to Cuba been addressed.
The last time Sheinbaum and Trump talked was January 29 over the phone. “We had a productive and cordial conversation with the President of the United States, Donald Trump. We continued to make progress on trade issues and the bilateral relationship,” she said after their conversation just last week.
“We agreed that both teams will continue working together. I also had the pleasure of greeting his wife, Melania, whom I met during my recent visit to Washington,” Sheinbaum said.
On Sunday, Sheinbaum clarified that “the topic was addressed during the conversation between the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Juan Ramón de la Fuente and the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. They discussed it then and as I said, we are exploring all diplomatic avenues to send fuel to the Cuban people.
“This isn’t a matter for governments but rather a matter of providing support to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Cuba. Meanwhile, we will send food and other essential aid to the island,” she added.
On Sunday, President Sheinbaum called for the prevention of a humanitarian crisis in Cuba, expressing support for the self-determination of peoples. She stated that the imposition of tariffs by the United States on countries that supply oil would directly affect the island’s people.
President Sheinbaum said this scenario must be avoided through respect for international law and dialogue between the parties while instructing the foreign ministry to establish immediate communication with the State Department in order to understand the scope of the decree recently published by the United States government.
“Nor do we want to put our country at risk in terms of tariffs, but rather seek diplomatic avenues and different ways to help,” she clarified.
She said that Mexico will seek alternatives to maintain humanitarian aid to the Cuban people, to whom he reaffirmed the solidarity that historically distinguishes our foreign policy.
Sheinbaum also mentioned that the United States sends humanitarian aid to Cuba in the form of food and other supplies, while noting that the Pemex oil Mexico sends to Cuba represents less than one percent of its national production.
President Sheinbaum stated that the operation of various facilities such as hospitals, food production and even homes themselves depend on the electricity generated from oil.
On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order that would impose a tariff on countries that provide or sell oil to Cuba. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez condemned the executive order.
Rodríguez referred to the order as a “brutal act of aggression against Cuba and its people … who are now threatened with being subjected to extreme living conditions.”
