The ship Manuel Gual, which arrived in Cuba from Venezuela with a donation of food and other goods, was received in the Mariel Special Development Zone as a symbol of the ongoing solidarity between the two countries.

The presentation ceremony for this donation was presided over by Manuel Marrero Cruz, member of the Political Bureau and Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba.

The vessel set sail with more than six thousand tons of cargo, including food for the population and animal husbandry, as well as fertilizers and seeds, with the goal of contributing to the well-being of the Cuban people.

Orlando Maneiro, ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Cuba, emphasized that this donation is part of the economic recovery program that both countries are developing jointly.

Within the framework of the 24th Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America - People's Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), the task of designing and implementing a regional maritime transport solution that would promote the productive and sustainable development of member countries was assigned.

This solution seeks to establish a business model that reduces logistics costs, strengthens new production niches, expands the market for producers, and generates direct benefits for consumers, the ambassador added.

For this reason, the Manuel Gual, the ALBA vessel, on its first voyage to the Alliance's member countries, arrived in Cuba to begin a new phase of regional maritime transport aimed at strengthening trade, advancing food sovereignty, and increasing production in our countries, Maneiro clarified.

He also noted that this arrival reflects the commitment and political will of the ALBA-TCP member countries, based on the principles of equity and resistance to imperialism.

Carlos Luis Jorge Méndez, interim Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, expressed that the donation is received with the sincere affection of the Venezuelan people and government toward Cuba, as a clear example that no difficulty can stop shared will and determination.

This is not just a commercial connection, but a commitment to a shared future, joint development, and the dream of our nations prospering through complementarity and unity, without relying on anyone other than the strength of our own people, said Jorge Méndez.

Condemning the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba, as well as the recent attacks on Venezuela, the interim minister stated: "While others build walls, we build bridges; while some impose blockades and sanctions, we open paths of brotherhood. In the face of the empire's threats and provocations, the ALBA-TCP countries respond with true integration and unity."

In the face of these challenges, he recalled the proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, signed on the occasion of the Second Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Havana. Cuba rejects and condemns the deployment of US forces and military assets in the Caribbean, as well as the disinformation campaign used to justify aggression against Venezuela.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Gladys Martínez Verdecia, a member of the Political Bureau and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba in the province of Artemisa; and Yudi Mercedes Rodríguez Hernández, a member of the Secretariat of the Party's Central Committee and head of the Service Department.