An international coalition made up of social movements, labor unions and humanitarian organizations announced the launch of a maritime mission called Our America with the aim of transporting food, medicine and necessary supplies to Cuban communities facing acute shortages, amid the tightening of the US embargo against the Caribbean island.

The flotilla, whose name takes its name from the title of the essay published by Cuban National Hero José Martí in 1891, will set sail next month with a group of volunteers, transporting solidarity aid to Cuba in response to “a rapidly deteriorating situation and the tightening of US sanctions and restrictions,” which have “disrupted fuel imports, grounded flights and forced the implementation of emergency conservation measures across the country,” the organizers said in a statement.

“We are preparing to sail to Cuba for the same reason we traveled on the Sumud Global Flotilla to Gaza: to break the blockade, deliver food and medicine, and demonstrate that solidarity can cross any border or sea ,” declared David Adler, a member of the Progressive International collective , one of the organizers of the Our America Flotilla.

The American activist added that the consequences of the blockade are measured in “empty pharmacies, canceled flights and families without electricity or fuel.”

Several organizers of this initiative previously participated in the Sumud Global Flotilla , which attempted to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip in August and September 2025 to break the Israeli blockade.

“When governments impose collective punishments, ordinary people have a responsibility to act ,” stressed Adler, who traveled to Gaza last year as an American Jew.

Thiago Avila, the driving force behind the Sumud Global Flotilla to Gaza, asserted that the mission’s objective is not only to deliver material assistance, but also “to convey the message that the Cuban people are not alone ,” emphasizing that in both territories—Gaza and Cuba—it is the civilian population that suffers the consequences of collective punishment.

British MP Jeremy Corbyn , a member of the Progressive International Council , stressed that the US blockade “has tried, for more than six decades, to stifle the example of Cuba ,” a country that despite economic pressure built a universal health system and a life expectancy comparable to or higher than that of the United States, whose policy has been aimed precisely at halting and jeopardizing these developments.

Corbyn noted that the Trump Administration has intensified the siege of the island with punitive policies and emphasized the need to demand "the right of every nation to live, develop and decide its own future free from intimidation . "

The coalition launched a website to gather support and will hold its first assembly on Sunday to advance logistical planning, coordinate volunteers and manage the procurement of humanitarian supplies.

The organizers say that the tightening of US sanctions has disrupted fuel imports, grounded flights, and forced austerity measures across the country, causing blackouts and limiting access to gasoline with repercussions for homes, medical centers, and essential infrastructure.

The announcement of the Our America Flotilla comes two days after United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concern about the growing fuel shortage in Cuba and its effect on the population, reporting that the UN is working with the Cuban government to “provide greater support” to the island.

Also on Thursday, Mexican Navy logistics support ships arrived in Havana with 814 tons of food and hygiene products , while Chile announced that it will also send support , and Russia indicated its intention to soon transport a shipment of oil and related products .

The United Nations General Assembly has called for an end to the US economic blockade of Cuba nearly thirty times , most recently in October 2025. The flotilla’s organizers explain that the initiative is based on relationships forged during the recent Our America conference in Bogotá, where governments, representatives, and popular movements met to strengthen regional cooperation and resist US aggression.