Havana/The Basque organizations Euskal Herriko Kontseilu Sozialista and Euskal Herriko Ikasle Antolakunde Sozialista, both pro-independence and far-left, announced this Tuesday that they will collect basic products to send to Cuba, in collaboration with the pro-Castro association Euskadi-Cuba. The collections will be carried out in 93 locations and in more than 100 educational centers and universities.
According to the schedule presented at a press conference, from April 13 to 25 they will collect hygiene products, including medications, medical supplies and surgical utensils (tweezers, scissors, scalpels, paper, threads), gloves and condoms. Also, sanitary napkins, sanitary napkins and diapers (for both children and adults), and general cleaning materials, such as brooms, cloths, rags, scouring pads and baby bottle cleaners.
Also, non-perishable foods, such as pasta, legumes, powdered milk, nuts, oil and tomato bricks. In addition, they asked for food supplements such as vitamins, minerals (magnesium, iron, calcium), fatty acids (Omega3) and probiotics.
The collection includes sporting goods, such as balls, rackets, bicycles and school supplies.
The collection includes sporting goods, such as balls, rackets, bicycles and school supplies, including pencils, pens, colored paints and markers, pencil sharpeners, scissors and notebooks.
During their position, they pointed out that the Island is experiencing a moment of “extreme severity”, due to “blackouts and fuel shortages”, which “have become a common reality and are damaging all areas of daily life, including transportation, access to food and water, health and education.”
They also reported that they will receive money to acquire photovoltaic panels, in line with the campaign promoted since last March, called Let Cuba Live, which seeks to finance equipment for the solar electrification of health centers. The collection will end on April 13 and donations can be made both by bank transfer and by bizum, a free mobile payment service.
The organizations’ announcement is recorded one day after a demonstration by the environment abertzale –close to the former terrorist group ETA– which took place in Pamplona, on the occasion of Aberri Eguna (Basque Homeland Day), in which there were displays of support for Cuba and Palestine.
Right there, the Solidarity for Development and Peace association announced, from Torrejón de Ardoz, in Madrid, that from this Tuesday until Thursday it will prepare containers for nursing homes in Las Tunas and the Baracoa Health System.
From this Tuesday until Thursday it will prepare containers for nursing homes in Las Tunas
This Monday, Spain defended humanitarian aid to Cuba and asked to add international support. The Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares assured that his country is already providing aid to the Island, positioning itself against the US oil blockade and analyzing with other countries “trying to do something” together. “What else can we do? Spain alone cannot do everything,” he reproached.
He recalled that the country was the first in the world to mobilize humanitarian aid to Cuba – in two packages worth more than 1.3 million euros – and stressed that it has committed to sending as many aid packages “as necessary.”
In mid-March, through the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (Aecid), the food shipping and medicines for 5,000 people in Cuba, as well as twenty photovoltaic panels. It was detailed that these kits would be destined directly to small local cooperatives in Cuba, helping to support local production.
The Aecid highlighted that different international organizations have warned that the shortage of fuel and energy has reduced the operation of critical infrastructure – which has also affected delivery of humanitarian aid in the country – although at no time did he mention the oil blockade imposed by the United States, which is what has ended up aggravating a situation that was already complicated in itself.
