The first two planes with Russian humanitarian aid have arrived in Cuba, a Sputnik correspondent reports from the Jose Marti International Airport.
“Two Russian planes have landed at the airport. They are now being unloaded on the runway,” the Sputnik correspondent said.
Earlier, Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) confirmed the first Russian delivery via Twitter.
“Betsy Diaz Velazquez, Minister of Internal Trade and Ana Teresita Gonzalez Fraga, First Deputy Minister of @MINCEX_CUBA [ministry of foreign trade], receive the first of two flights from Russia with humanitarian aid to face #Covid19,” MINREX informed via Twitter.
On Saturday, two Russian military aircraft were sent to deliver food and personal protective equipment to Cuba.
The island nation has seen the largest protests in the island nation since 1994, sparked by anger over shortages of food, medicine and other basic necessities.
The economic sufferings was triggered by the continued US blockade of Cuba. According to the Cuba government, the rollout of Cuba’s vaccine was delayed because US sanctions prevented raw materials from being imported. Even now, as COVID cases in Cuba rise to their highest levels since the pandemic began, Biden has made no attempt to lift the economic restrictions.
According to Havana, the US economic, financial and trade blockade has caused the country economic losses estimated at more than $144 billion.