The flagship of the Convoy Nuestra América arrived in Havana this Tuesday after four days of navigation, carrying the bulk of the humanitarian aid collected by this solidarity initiative in support of Cuba and critical of the US oil blockade. Its arrival, with 14 tons of food and medicine, 73 solar panels, and a dozen bicycles, marked the culmination of the convoy's main activities, which have brought together several hundred politicians and activists over the past week. The 32 crew members from 10 countries docked with the so-called 'Granma 2.0' at the Havana cruise terminal after 8:00 a.m. (12:00 GMT) and were received by representatives of the official Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples. 'We know that what we bring on our ships is a drop in the ocean of Cuba's needs, which has lived for more than six decades under the US blockade,' highlighted Brazilian activist Thiago de Ávila e Silva Oliveira to the press. The Convoy Nuestra América has brought several hundred activists and politicians to the island since last Wednesday, where they were received by the country's president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, and participated in political acts, visited hospitals and schools. The initiative, criticized by sectors of the Cuban community on and off the island, aimed to focus on Cuba's situation under the US oil blockade, a measure that the UN has deemed contrary to international law. The economic and energy crisis on the island has worsened since January due to Washington's measure, but the situation on the island was already very deteriorated long before, with deep structural problems. Two more vessels will follow the flagship of the Convoy Nuestra América, which set sail from Isla Mujeres (southeast of Mexico) last Saturday. The three vessels have been delayed due to adverse weather on their route to Cuba across the Caribbean Sea. The first day was 'a bit rougher at sea,' as acknowledged by a member of the Italian Agency for Cultural and Economic Exchange with Cuba, Umberto Cerutti, but they ultimately achieved their goal of showing 'an example of solidarity among peoples.' Among the left-wing leaders who have traveled to Havana as part of the Convoy Nuestra América are British MP Jeremy Corbyn, Colombian Senator Clara López, Spanish MP Gerardo Pisarello, the general coordinator of the Progressive International, David Adler, as well as several MEPs. The Convoy Nuestra América, inspired by the Global Sumud Flotilla that brought humanitarian aid to Gaza in 2025, aims to show a sign of political support for Cuba, amidst the economic and social crisis aggravated by the US oil blockade. The Cuban government has repeatedly denounced the impact of the US country's sanctions and accuses Washington of 'energetic suffocation.' The UN has also classified this action as contrary to international law.
