CARICOM’s humanitarian aid for Cuba cleared after fourth attempt

Jul 09, 2026 News

… ‘Humanitarian relief comes above everything else, none of us can give back life’ – PM Mottley

(Kaieteur News) – CARICOM’s humanitarian aid package for Cuba has finally been cleared for delivery, after funds sent to purchase supplies for the island were rejected three times over sanctions-related banking hurdles.

The update was delivered Wednesday at the closing media conference of the 51st Regular Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government in Saint Lucia.

CARICOM’s humanitarian aid for Cuba cleared after fourth attempt

Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley

The aid initiative was first announced in February at the conclusion of the 50th Regular Meeting in St Kitts and Nevis, when then-CARICOM Chairman Dr. Terrance Drew unveiled the plan in response to Cuba’s deepening humanitarian crisis. The island’s nearly 10 million residents have faced mounting economic hardship since the Trump administration cut off the flow of oil to Cuba earlier this year, in what CNN reported was an effort to pressure the communist-run island into major political and economic reform.

Under the initiative, CARICOM governments agreed to jointly procure essential goods on behalf of member states, including powdered milk, baby formula, non-perishable food such as beans, wheat flour, rice and canned goods, basic medical supplies, solar panels, batteries and water tanks, for shipment to Cuba. The Government of Mexico is supporting the effort by identifying suppliers able to deliver goods to the port of departure and by providing free shipping from Mexico to Cuba.

That support has not spared the initiative from repeated setbacks. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley revealed Wednesday that funds earmarked for baby formula had bounced back three times before finally clearing.

Mottley attributed the repeated rejections to the practical difficulty of moving money for Cuba while under sanctions.

“The money that was sent back because of the sanctions, it is almost impossible to be able to deliver it, and we’ve had to go through circuitous routes with respect to dealing with countries who are willing to ensure that humanitarian aid is delivered to Cuba,” she said. “Nobody is going to release the milk without payment, and because we are shipping it to Cuba, therefore the process goes through enhanced due diligence.”

Mottley acknowledged the crisis remains politically sensitive but said CARICOM heads had agreed that debate on the matter must proceed without prejudice, with the priority placed squarely on resolving the humanitarian emergency.

“There is a humanitarian crisis, and you cannot continue to ignore that reality,” she said. “Humanitarian relief comes above everything else, because none of us can give back life to anybody.”

She added that while the situation remains “complicated and complex,” a dynamic reflected in recent debate at the United Nations, CARICOM remains committed to humanitarian assistance and to dialogue that could help de-escalate the standoff.

Mottley disclosed that CARICOM has informed both Washington and Havana that it stands ready to help facilitate talks between the two governments.

“When you live in a neighborhood, what happens in the neighborhood affects everyone, and the neighborhood stretches from Florida to Guyana and Suriname in the South,” she said.

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CARICOM, Cuba, humanitarian aid, humanitarian relief

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