Cuba to Send Humanitarian Aid to Venezuela

HAVANA TIMES, Dec. 28 — Cuba will send in February several shipments of building materials and mattresses as humanitarian aid for the persons affected by the intense rains in Venezuela, Rogelio Polanco, Cuban ambassador to that South American country, announced. The aid consists of 6,900 tons of cement, 500,000 squares meters of roof tiles, 200,000 square meters of floor tiles and 32,000 foam rubber mattresses, reported IPS.

While supporting the idea of helping others, some Cubans criticize their government for donating things that are in shortage in their own country.

Cuba is still recovering from the three major earthquakes in 2008 and building materials at affordable prices are scarce.  Likewise, the purchase of new mattresses is out-of-reach for most Cubans.