The Venezuelan vessel Manuel Gual, dispatched by the Government of Venezuela and the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of America (ALBA-TCP, in Spanish), arrived Monday at Santiago de Cuba’s Guillermon Moncada port carrying heavy machinery and more than 7,110 tons of supplies for communities affected by Hurricane Melissa in eastern Cuba.
The equipment will be operated by Venezuelan technicians who are already on the island assisting local authorities in restoring damaged roads and infrastructure.
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The ship set sail on Friday night, December 5, from the port of La Guaira, Venezuela, transporting 76 containers of food, five backhoes, and materials for reconstruction efforts, ALBA-TCP Executive Secretary Rander Peña confirmed.
This latest shipment adds to more than 12,000 tons of aid delivered in recent weeks, including medicine, toys, windows, and construction materials for the rebuilding of homes.
“This new humanitarian shipment is meant to strengthen the restoration and recovery work underway on the island following the hurricane,” Peña said, emphasizing that assistance will continue “for as long as the brotherly people of Cuba need it.”
The aid is part of a broader solidarity effort launched by the Venezuelan government after learning of the extent of the storm’s damage. For weeks, Venezuelan technicians have been working alongside Cuban authorities to repair damaged infrastructure in Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Holguin, and Guantanamo.
Declarations from authorities
Misael Rodriguez Llanes, Secretary General of Cuba’s National Construction Workers Union (SNTC, in Spanish), said dozens of brigades have been working up to 15 hours a day “clearing debris, repairing damage, and rebuilding in multiple locations.”
Sergio Enrique Rodriguez Rojas, Director of Maintenance Policy and Project Execution at Venezuela’s Ministry of Public Works, stressed that “helping Cuba is a priority,” even “amid U.S. imperial threats and a tightened blockade.”
El buque “Manuel Gual”, del ALBA-TCP, arribó al puerto Guillermón Moncada, en Santiago de Cuba, con un cargamento de ayuda solidaria, maquinaria e insumos, con el propósito de reforzar el trabajo de restauración y recuperación que se ejecuta en el oriente de #Cuba 🇨🇺 tras el paso… pic.twitter.com/0EmOt0AwD9
— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) December 8, 2025
Bethsalie Contreras Trujillo, a young Venezuelan member of the internationalist brigade, called the gesture “reciprocal,” noting that “millions of Venezuelans have received healthcare, education, culture, and sports thanks to Cuban internationalists.”
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