Featured image: Reception ceremony of the Venezuelan ship Manuel Gual as it delivered aid for the Cuban people in Havana on Saturday, August 30, 2025. Photo: X/@BrunoRguezP.
The Venezuelan ship Manuel Gual, which departed from La Guaira state, arrived at the Mariel Special Development Zone in Havana, carrying 6,100 tons of donations in the form of food and various products. It was received by Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz.
Following its arrival, Cruz highlighted on social media the strategic and human value of this action amid the difficult economic circumstances facing the country.
The vessel’s arrival inaugurated the shipping and trade route between the countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America—People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), which promotes economic exchange, food sovereignty, and national production.
According to information released by Venezuelan local news outlets, the Venezuelan ambassador to Cuba, Orlando Maneiro, emphasized at the welcoming ceremony that “this arrival represents the beginning of a new era in regional maritime transport, aimed at strengthening trade and opening a new chapter in the unity of our peoples.”
Meanwhile, Cuba’s First Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Carlos Luis Jorge noted that each route traveled by this ship honors the memory of the founders of ALBA-TCP and reaffirms the commitment to a more just and prosperous future for the region.
During the event, the proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace was also reiterated, and the Cuban people’s rejection of the US military deployment in the Caribbean and the disinformation campaigns against Venezuela was expressed.
This shipment is part of a tribute to the centennial of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz and constitutes a concrete expression of the political will and cooperation among the ALBA-TCP member countries.
Cuba thankful
On Sunday, August 31, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno RodrĂguez expressed his gratitude for the Venezuelan donation in a social media post.
“We thank the government and people of Venezuela for the donation of food, fertilizers, and seeds sent to Cuba, at the inauguration of the shipping and commercial route of the ALBA-TCP countries,” the top diplomat wrote.
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Meanwhile, Venezuelan journalist Luigino Bracci highlighted the humanitarian approach of the Bolivarian Revolution for supporting its Cuban allies while itself facing an unprecedented threat from US imperialism.
“While Venezuela is harassed by gringo ships, these are the ships it sends to brother countries, countries that have also helped us in other moments,” Bracci wrote.
(Últimas Noticias) by Karla Patiño with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SA
