Mexican Volunteers Send Boats of Aid to Cuba

When Marisela Vega first started collecting aid for Cuba, she felt like she was swimming against the tide. Now, donations are pouring in faster than she and fellow volunteers can pack them.

At a port in Yucatan, Mexico, several dozen people loaded boats with rice, baby wipes, shampoo, feminine pads, and medications this week. A hand-painted banner reading "Let Cuba Live" hung above the scene, less than 500 miles from Havana across the Gulf of Mexico.

"At the beginning we felt like we were going against the tide, trying to get enough aid," said Vega. "And suddenly it overflowed. When everyone started finding out, little by little they responded more and more."

The boats departed Friday as part of the "Nuestra America Convoy," or "Our America Convoy." The non-government initiative is asking volunteers worldwide to send essential goods to Cuba, especially food, medicines, batteries, and flashlights.

Cubans are facing power outages and economic hardship after the U.S. imposed an oil blockade on the island. Mexico, previously a key fuel supplier, has shifted to sending humanitarian aid instead.

The Ripple Effect

The convoy isn't just a Mexican effort. Goods from Europe also arrived in Cuba on Friday as part of the same grassroots campaign.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel welcomed the international support. "The warmth of the people is welcome," he said on social media.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about the deeper meaning behind the aid. "Cuba has lived through an economic blockade for years that has prevented the Cuban people from being able to develop freely in economic terms," she said Friday.

What started as a small group of volunteers has grown into a cross-border movement of everyday people helping neighbors in need.