Panama First Lady Brings Humanitarian Aid for Cubans

As part of her stay in Cuba, the first lady will hold meetings with students and residents of her country in the island

Lorena Castillo de Varela, first lady of Panama, will officially deliver today in Cuba the humanitarian aid sent by the Panamanian people to the Cubans who suffered the effects of Hurricane Irma, it was reported here.

Castillo and the Joint Task Force (civil defense, rescue and security institutions) led a collection where citizens and social institutions that through the official humanitarian system ‘Panama Coopera’ coordinated the arrival of donations to the countries in need, according to the Office of the First Lady of Panama.

Upon her arrival in Havana, Castillo was welcomed by Deputy Foreign Minister, Marcelino Medina, who on behalf of the Cuban government and people thanked the Panamanian support; the charge d’affaires of Panama in the Caribbean nation, Abel Medianero, was also present.

As part of her stay in Cuba, the first lady will visit ‘La Pradera’ International Health Center, and will hold meetings with students and residents of her country in the island.

A ship with 35 containers arrived in the ‘Guillermon Moncada’ port in Santiago de Cuba from Panama with solidarity aid, to alleviate the damages caused by Hurricane Irma to almost all the archipelago.

According to the Panamanian Foreign Ministry’s announcement, the donation is made up of mattresses, hygiene and cooking products, sheets, blankets, food, wood, lights, water plastic containers and other basic articles.

On September 13, another vessel with five containers full of rice, oil and other food left from the Panamanian Atlantic area, to the Port of Mariel in northern Cuba. And three planes flew almost simultaneously to Havana with 2.1 metric tons of humanitarian aid.