The Venezuelan government is reaching out to two sister Caribbean territories that have been have suffered from the strong winds and rain from Hurricane Melissa.
The Foreign Minister stated that this operation was activated following the substantial damage caused by Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean, which generated intense rains, strong winds, and infrastructure damage in Jamaica, and significant damage in Cuba.
The Minister of People’s Power for Foreign Affairs, Yván Gil, led the shipment of humanitarian aid to Cuba and Jamaica on Thursday. These Caribbean nations were affected by Hurricane Melissa, and the aid serves as a demonstration of the Bolivarian Revolution of Venezuela’s spirit of support and solidarity with the peoples of the world
He detailed that, in the first phase, 26 tons of supplies are being sent to Cuba Thursdy via the national airline Conviasa. These supplies include food, single and double mattresses, medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, diclofenac, and omeprazole, as well as medical supplies and equipment such as adhesives, gowns for surgeons and patients, surgical caps, sterile gloves, and standard wheelchairs.
Gil explained that they are preparing to send a ship with more than 3,000 tons of additional aid, scheduled to depart in the coming days.
Regarding Jamaica, the minister reported that an estimated 20 tons of aid are expected to be sent.
The Jamaican shipment, which will be delivered to the island by the Vice Minister for the Caribbean, Raúl Li Causi, consists of a variety of essential items to address the immediate needs of the affected population, including mattresses, food, medicine, and medical supplies, among other basic necessities.
The diplomat contrasted this with other countries focusing on the Caribbean to create instability and threaten peace; Venezuela, he noted, is stepping forward, and the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) is leading the way to offer its solidarity.
He also highlighted that the humanitarian operation coincides with the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement between Cuba and Venezuela by Commanders Hugo Chávez Frías and Fidel Castro Ruz, which was the “seed of what is today the true union of our peoples,” a system based on solidarity, beyond mere trade.
The Foreign Minister recalled Cuba’s invaluable aid to Venezuela 25 years ago, following the legacy of poverty inherited from the Fourth Republic, when the island sent the first doctors and teachers who enabled the creation of missions such as Barrio Adentro and Robinson. “Today we are reciprocating that solidarity,” he affirmed.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to Venezuela, Jorge Luis Mayo, expressed his profound gratitude for the assistance, highlighting it as a constant manifestation of the brotherhood between both peoples and governments. He indicated that his country systematically receives this social and material support from the sister Bolivarian nation.
He pointed out that the United States’ blockade policy has prevented Cuba from achieving fiscal recovery and strengthening its capacity to confront meteorological phenomena.
In this regard, he emphasized Bolivarian diplomacy: “While the empire betrays countries, here we don’t receive threats, we receive medicine, which is what the people truly need.”
He described the comprehensive cooperation agreement signed 25 years ago as an exemplary agreement for how relations between nations should be conducted.
This solidarity aid operation is an example not only for the region but for the world, demonstrating how South-South cooperation should be—a legacy of Commanders Chávez and Fidel, in accordance with the principles of ALBA-TCP.
