OTTAWA — As Ottawa continues to vow it will send aid to Cuba at some point, the island nation’s ambassador to Canada is set to testify before the House foreign affairs committee this afternoon.

Ambassador Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz is scheduled to address the committee after it hears from the officials at Global Affairs Canada responsible for regional issues and humanitarian response.

A U.S. oil blockade has triggered a humanitarian crisis in Cuba and officials close to U.S. President Donald Trump have suggested economic pressure could topple the communist regime in the Caribbean nation.

Mexico has sent humanitarian shipments of food and medicines to Cuba, leading Bloc Québécois and NDP MPs to call on Ottawa to follow suit.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said on Monday Ottawa was “preparing a plan to assist” Cuba and she could not provide any further details.

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said on Feb. 13 that Canada was working on providing some sort of humanitarian aid to the island.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2026.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press