HAVANA — Seventy-year-old Guillermo Beltrán carried home two hefty bags Thursday filled with crucial supplies his family desperately needed — rice, beans, amaranth, and crackers — along with cooking oil, large tins of sardines, and canned fruit. Each item bore identical markings reading “Made in Mexico.”
Beltrán, a Cuban father of two, joined hundreds of others receiving Mexican humanitarian relief ordered by President Claudia Sheinbaum to assist the struggling island nation battling power outages and critical fuel shortages intensified by U.S. oil restrictions.
“I feel very grateful,” Beltrán expressed. “The Mexican president should be praised to the skies for showing such concern and courage.”
Mexican Navy vessels carrying humanitarian supplies arrived at Cuban ports last week, coming two weeks following U.S. President Donald Trump’s warnings about imposing tariffs on nations that provide oil to the island, further intensifying the Caribbean nation’s already dire economic and energy situation.
The vessels delivered approximately 800 tons of essential items, with an additional 1,500 tons of powdered milk and beans scheduled for transport in upcoming days.
Cuban officials announced the assistance will benefit at-risk families with malnourished children or senior citizens in Havana and the Mayabeque and Artemisa provinces. State television broadcast earlier this week showed the materials being distributed to bodegas — government-operated stores that provide basic necessities to citizens using a nationwide rationing system.
The supplies Beltrán received were delivered straight to his residence by his local Havana bodega supervisor.
“People are very grateful for these donations,” 28-year-old manager Roberto Román explained to The Associated Press. His responsibilities include serving 1,780 customers across 850 households.
Cuba’s economic troubles that began in 2020 have worsened due to heightened U.S. sanctions designed to pressure changes in the island’s governing system. These restrictions have created critical supply shortages and devastating power failures that reached their worst point in early 2026.
The island had depended significantly on Venezuelan oil deliveries that stopped when the U.S. launched attacks against the South American nation in early January and detained its leadership.
Since Cuba generates just 40% of its necessary fuel internally, it faces extreme vulnerability to foreign blockades. Although strong supporters like Russia and China have criticized U.S. actions, their assistance has stayed primarily rhetorical so far.
