At President Putin’s Direction, Russia Provides 88 Tons of Humanitarian Aid to Cuba

July 24, 2021 (EIRNS)— Today, two Russian AN-124 military transport planes arrived in Cuba carrying 88 tons of humanitarian aid, the Russian Defense Ministry announced in a release. The shipments included food, PPE, 1 million masks and other medical supplies. The AN-124 is known for its cargo capacity, larger than any other aircraft in the world. RT reports that Vladimir Putin personally gave the order for these supplies to be sent. Additionally, the Cuban daily Granma reports statements from Health Ministry foreign affairs director Nestor Miramón Torres that the U.S.-based Cuba Solidarity Movement, has sent 1.7 million syringes to Cuba, organized by Global Health Partners, a humanitarian agency that has been providing aid to Cuba for 47 years. This is part of a larger shipment of 6 million syringes, urgently needed in Cuba, scheduled to arrive soon.

Miramón Torres further stated that there have been 500 donations made to Cuba recently from many different countries, while Sandra Ramirez of the Cuban People’s Friendship Institute reports that “many people in the United States” have made financial donations totalling $500,000. The arrival of this medical assistance is timely, as COVID cases are soaring in Cuba. Yesterday saw a record 7,784 new cases. Miramón Torres emphasized that the economic blockade imposed on Cuba 60 years ago “is real and is the primary obstacle to ... the prosperity and wellbeing of the Cuban people.” Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez tweeted this morning his gratitude to the Non-Aligned Movement for its statement “firmly condemning the international campaign organized to destabilize and undermine Cuba’s constitutional order, peace and rule of law,” Cubadebate reported.