Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on 10 June reaffirmed her government's commitment to delivering humanitarian aid to Cuba, calling the island nation's situation a test of international solidarity that Mexico intends to meet — even as the United States tightens its more than six-decade-long blockade.

Sheinbaum's Pledge

Speaking at her daily press conference in Mexico City, Sheinbaum said the bilateral relationship is rooted in a tradition of mutual support that her administration will not abandon. 'We continue to send all kinds of aid and we are going to continue sending … aid to the Cuban people,' she said. She added: 'It's a matter of solidarity. The people of Mexico have always done this, and we will continue to do so, because it is a country that needs it.'

Sheinbaum stressed that Mexico would do everything within its power to sustain support for Cuba, particularly given what she characterised as an intensifying US economic blockade.

The Raul Castro Indictment Row

The pledge comes weeks after Sheinbaum publicly defended the principle of national self-determination and criticised the US Department of Justice's decision to indict former Cuban leader Raul Castro, now 94. The indictment, filed earlier this year, accuses Castro of playing an alleged role in the 1996 downing of two aircraft operated by the Cuban-American exile group Brothers to the Rescue. Castro served as Cuba's minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces at the time.

'What is the point of accusing someone now for something that happened 30 years ago?' Sheinbaum said at a separate press conference in May. The Cuban government, for its part, has maintained that the aircraft had repeatedly violated Cuban airspace and ignored prior warnings, leaving Havana no option but to exercise what it described as its right to self-defence.

Mexico-US Relations: Cooperation Without Capitulation

Sheinbaum was careful to frame Mexico's stance as principled rather than adversarial. She said the United States has historically used drug trafficking as a pretext for interference in the region — a characterisation Mexico rejects — while also stressing that the two neighbours must continue to cooperate where their interests align.

'We do not want to fight with them,' she said, adding that Mexico seeks constructive engagement while prioritising the interests of both peoples. She also cautioned that Mexico must remain mindful of history as it navigates its complex relationship with Washington.

Context: Cuba's Deepening Crisis

Cuba has faced severe fuel shortages, rolling power cuts, and food scarcity over the past two years, conditions that international observers have partly attributed to the tightening of US sanctions. Mexico has been among the most consistent providers of emergency fuel and food supplies to the island. Sheinbaum's statement signals continuity with the policy of her predecessor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who was a vocal critic of the US blockade throughout his term.

With Washington showing no sign of easing its Cuba policy, Mexico's role as a diplomatic counterweight in the Caribbean is likely to grow — and Sheinbaum appears determined to play it.