After the restrictions on shipments to Cuba were lifted, South Florida families are urgently sending essential aid to relatives facing a dire crisis on the island.
Alan Espinosa, whose family in Havana is struggling, described the situation as “heartbreaking.” His father, brother, nieces, and nephews endure daily challenges on the island.
“My dad, I called him, and he told me we’ve been 27 hours straight without power, and they put it at nine at 10:30 for an hour and a half, Joe, so we can put a little juice on the phone and be able to communicate. Those are not ways to live,” Espinosa said.
This urgency was visible in Little Havana, where more than a dozen people were seen lining up outside of a Cubamax for hours to send much-needed aid. In the line, there were many electric generators, shopping carts filled with canned goods, and bags of clothes.
Rene Cordova, another family member, explained his motivation, stating, “We want to help give our loved ones a better life”. The Cuban people continue dealing with the “worst socioeconomic crisis in decades”.
Cordova said helping his family comes at a cost, noting, “We send the essentials, and for us it is a sacrifice, because we have bills to pay here”. He added, “Many times we limit ourselves to things that we need here to help our family in Cuba”.
Orlando Gutierez with the Cuban resistance stated that the efforts of the community are essential for survival. “If it weren’t for the Cuban community, people would be starving in Cuba,” Gutierez said. “Our families are hostages there. They’re trying to help out the families because when it comes to supplying the people with food and medicine, it’s collapsed, and they don’t wanna let it go”.
Now that restrictions on what can be shipped to Cuba have been lifted, family members are sending whatever they can to help their families survive. According to Cuba Max, if supplies are sent by ship, it can take anywhere from 14 to 28 days for family members to receive them. If the aid is sent by air, it will take 3 to 7 days.
