Nuestra América convoy arrives in Cuba with thousands of pounds of aid amid US blockade

Havana, Cuba - Activists from dozens of countries began arriving in Cuba on Friday with thousands of pounds of aid as the Trump administration wages a brutal blockade on the island nation.

An activist with the Nuestra América Convoy stands next to a Mexican flag on a boat nicknamed Grandma 2, before it sets sail for Cuba, in Puerto Progreso, Mexico, on March 20, 2026.
An activist with the Nuestra América Convoy stands next to a Mexican flag on a boat nicknamed Grandma 2, before it sets sail for Cuba, in Puerto Progreso, Mexico, on March 20, 2026.  © YURI CORTEZ / AFP

Nuestra América Convoy activists traveling by plane landed in Havana on Friday bearing medical aid amid a severe energy crisis spurred by President Donald Trump's fuel embargo.

More solidarity activists traveling by sea are expected to arrive on Saturday.

The action was inspired by a series of international flotilla missions aimed at breaking Israel's ongoing siege of Gaza.

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According to CODEPINK, the convoy is set to deliver 6,300 pounds of medical supplies collected by Global Health Partners and valued at $433,000.

The aid caravan was organized by Progressive International, The People's Forum, CODEPINK, and other groups.

Participants include Amazon Labor Union co-founder Chris Smalls, British MP Jeremy Corbyn, Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, members of the Irish rap group Kneecap, and many more.

"We're here in the Havana José Martí airport," CODEPINK co-founder Medea Benjamin said in a video posted to X. Boxes of aid are seen in the background as activists hold pink heart-shaped signs with messages like "Cuba-US amistad" and "Abajo el bloqueo."

"It's a drop in the bucket for what Cuba needs, but it's a show of our solidarity with the people of Cuba and our opposition to what Trump is doing to try to strangle the Cuban people into submission," Benjamin explained.

Trump threatens to "take" Cuba

Jeremy Corbyn, member of Parliament of the United Kingdom, is seen during a press conference at the International Press Center in Havana on March 20, 2026.
Jeremy Corbyn, member of Parliament of the United Kingdom, is seen during a press conference at the International Press Center in Havana on March 20, 2026.  © Yamil LAGE / AFP

Cuba, a Caribbean island of 9.6 million people, has grappled with hours-long blackouts as the Trump administration has sought to cut off the island's access to fuel after authorizing a military operation in January to abduct President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, Cuba's primary oil supplier.

Earlier this week, Trump said he believed he would have "the honor of taking Cuba" – his latest threat to the nation's government.

"Whether I free it, take it – think I could do anything I want with it, you want to know the truth. They're a very weakened nation right now," the Republican president told reporters.

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In response, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said the US would face "unbreakable resistance" if it tried to take over the country.

Cuba has a long history of resistance to American imperialism and Western colonialism, its government having survived continuous US economic pressure since the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro.

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Friday that her government had sent another ship with humanitarian aid to Cuba.

During a press conference on Friday, Corbyn challenged the UK and other European countries to ensure the shipment of oil to the island nation.

"It's simply wrong what is happening in any moral sense," the former UK Labour leader said.

More impressions of the Nuestra América Convoy

Members of the Nuestra America convoy hold signs in support of Cuba as they pose for a photo before checking in at Miami International Airport on March 20, 2026.
Members of the Nuestra America convoy hold signs in support of Cuba as they pose for a photo before checking in at Miami International Airport on March 20, 2026.  © Eva Marie UZCATEGUI / AFP
Nuestra América Convoy activists chant onboard the Mexican boat nicknamed Grandma 2 as it sets sail to Cuba from Puerto Progreso, Mexico, on March 20, 2026.
Nuestra América Convoy activists chant onboard the Mexican boat nicknamed Grandma 2 as it sets sail to Cuba from Puerto Progreso, Mexico, on March 20, 2026.  © YURI CORTEZ / AFP
Silhouettes of activists and a Cuban flag are seen aboard the Grandma 2 in the Caribbean Sea on March 20, 2026.
Silhouettes of activists and a Cuban flag are seen aboard the Grandma 2 in the Caribbean Sea on March 20, 2026.  © YURI CORTEZ / AFP
Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel gives a welcome speech to participants of the Nuestra América Convoy at the Convention Palace in Havana on March 20, 2026.
Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel gives a welcome speech to participants of the Nuestra América Convoy at the Convention Palace in Havana on March 20, 2026.  © ADALBERTO ROQUE / POOL / AFP

Díaz-Canel welcomed the activists in a reception at the Convention Palace in Havana on Friday, thanking them for their solidarity with the Cuban people.

Cover photo: YURI CORTEZ / AFP

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