A container loaded with medicine and healthcare supplies for the Cuban people is expected to arrive from Spain at the beginning of March, according to MediCuba, a solidarity organization created in the 1990s.
The cargo, valued at 200,000 euros, is a donation from Silvio Rodríguez with contributions from the associations MediCuba España; José Martí, in Valencia; Miguel Hernández, in Alicante; Euskadi Cuba; Ernesto Guevara Defensem Cuba; and Solidarity with the Cuban people, inMálaga.
In an interview with Cubadebate, Francisco (Paco) Hernández, coordinator of the many efforts involved in the organization of the shipment, reported that he met Silvio Rodríguez in September of 2021 in Madrid, when the singer-songwriter chose MediCuba to manage the purchase of medicines for the Cuban people with the musician’s donation of proceeds from his two concerts in that city and the prize money he was awarded by the Leteo de León Cultural Club.
Hernández explained that with these funds, they requested quotes from different European laboratories, seeking the best prices for the most needed medicines. "We did everything as quickly as possible, because we understand that this is needed right now," he added.
The shipment includes antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and antipyretics, medicines which are among the most needed, according to doctors on the island, as well as the Cuban ministries of Public Health and Foreign Trade.
A founder of the Communist Party of Spain in the town of Torrejón de Ardoz, Hernandez explained that, in order to help Cuba, they have been obliged to find ways to get around the U.S. blockade for years.
"It has not been easy, since, when you go out to acquire materials for MediCuba, if the products have anything to do with the U.S. you can’t buy them. You have to make purchases through third parties. We have had lots of problems, because paying to fill containers to ship to Cuba means much higher costs," he stated.
