00:00A shipment of solar panels, batteries, food items and medical supplies will soon be sent from Trinidad and Tobago to
00:08Cuba.
00:08The items were purchased through a fundraising drive led by a coalition of civic organizations in support of Cubans facing
00:16economic hardships.
00:18Political leader of the movement for social justice, David Abdullah, says the response from the public has been encouraging.
00:25We have received some 70,000 Trinidad and Tobago dollars.
00:30And yes, we can applaud that.
00:34With this, we have purchased four solar panels, one of which is behind me.
00:39The others are here.
00:42We also have four batteries, one of which is behind me.
00:45The batteries are very heavy, so we only moved one this morning.
00:48Abdullah says organizers also worked to secure medication based on a list provided by Cuban partners, but sourcing some items
00:55was a bit difficult.
00:57We have also been working on the purchase of medicines based on a list supplied to us by our friends
01:02at ECAP.
01:04However, we have had some challenges in this regard.
01:07And so we have an alternative, which is to purchase perhaps other medical supplies that can be used in hospitals
01:13and health clinics.
01:15He explained that that additional supplies are also being prepared for shipment.
01:30Abdullah blamed the worsening conditions in Cuba on the United States blockade, which he says has intensified in recent months.
01:40It is suffering today only because of the U.S. blockade that has costed hundreds of billions of dollars over
01:46the years and which has damaged its economy and infrastructure.
01:52The fuel blockade has caused hospitals to be affected, schools to close, and the economy to be strangled.
01:59He also pointed to Cuba's assistance to Caribbean countries over the years, including Trinidad and Tobago, during the COVID-19
02:07pandemic.
02:08Cuba has provided health care professionals to Haiti, especially after the devastating earthquake.
02:15Cuba has provided health care professionals to very many countries, including Trinidad and Tobago, in normal times and also particularly
02:23to assist with the COVID pandemic.
02:25Abdullah says the donation drive represents more than humanitarian aid, describing it as a small gesture of gratitude and regional
02:34unity.
02:35We say today that Cuba is not alone. Cuba is not alone.
02:44We have a duty to extend our solidarity to the Cuban people, our Caribbean brothers and sisters.
02:50And this, what we have collected today, is just a very small gesture of us returning to Cuba, what they
02:58have done for us.
03:00Cuban ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago was thankful for the items being donated to the people of Cuba.
03:06Charlotte Histo, TV6 News.
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