For months, two containers filled with medicine, food, and various goods have been held at the port of Santiago de Cuba. They contain supplies that Cuban health professionals purchased with their earnings while on assignment in Angola. One former mission worker, speaking to elTOQUE under the condition of anonymity, agreed to come forward with the story.

"After everything we have done for our country, we don’t deserve this treatment," the source said.

The shipment was organized through Habana Forwarding, a company based in Angola and headed by Cuban national Cenén Portuondo Hernández. Health workers were referred to Habana Forwarding by an employee of the Antillean Export Corporation (Antex)—the operational arm of Cuba’s military-run conglomerate GAESA in Africa, responsible for managing Cuban trade, services, and business representation abroad.

The doctors meticulously arranged the shipment at the end of their mission. Amid Cuba’s ongoing shortages and economic crisis, any additional resources can be a crucial lifeline for families. They returned to Cuba in 2023, hopeful that their containers would soon follow. However, due to complications with air transport, the shipment was delayed for over a year and a half.

It wasn’t until August 2, 2024, that the goods finally left Angola, shipped by sea through Habana Forwarding. They arrived at the port of Santiago de Cuba in December 2024. But then came another setback: to the doctors’ shock and frustration, the containers were seized by the Cuban state agency Transcargo due to an outstanding debt owed by Habana Forwarding. The containers remain blocked until the freight charges are paid—a debt for which the health workers are not responsible.

When questioned, Habana Forwarding first cited problems accessing their bank accounts. Later, they blamed the delay on their bank allegedly withholding foreign currency transactions.

The health workers say they don't believe Habana Forwarding’s excuses and suspect Transcargo is using the situation to pressure the Angolan company. Meanwhile, they worry that the food they sent may have spoiled and that critical medicines could now be expired.

They wrote letters to Cuban authorities requesting an exception to release the cargo. elTOQUE obtained a copy of a letter sent on March 12, 2025, to the Council of State and Navemar, the state-owned intermediary responsible for transportation. They were informed that the Council of State would respond within a month. To date, they have received no reply.

"This is inhumane," one doctor said. "We are exhausting every possible avenue and every available channel, but so far, we have received no favorable response or solution." During their time in Angola, they treated endemic diseases at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. "And now, after returning to Cuba, this is what we face," he added.

The group has said they are prepared to go on a hunger strike if their belongings are not returned soon. They plan to document the protest and send the footage to media outlets to draw international attention. "We want the world to know about our suffering," one doctor emphasized.

What is Habana Forwarding?

Straddling operations between Angola and Cuba, Habana Forwarding is perhaps the most important courier company linking the two countries. Its director, Cenén Portuondo Hernández—also known as Cenén Hernández—is a Cuban national. The company's other listed executive is Angolan national Horacio Lucamba.

Founded in 2021, Habana Forwarding claims to have a presence not only in Cuba and Angola but also in Asia and Europe. In Cuba, its state partners include Cubana de Aviación and Correos de Cuba.

Social media research shows that Portuondo Hernández was or is connected to a private clinic in Angola, though its last known activity dates back to 2021. The social media accounts for Habana Forwarding itself have also not been recently updated.

A Facebook post reveals that Portuondo Hernández, originally from Guantánamo, moved to Angola in 2014 after working as a dental surgeon in Cuba.

Habana Forwarding has been promoted through the social media pages of the Cuban Embassy in Angola. In September 2024, the embassy in Luanda announced a memorandum of understanding signed between Habana Forwarding and Angola's state airline, TAAG. Additionally, the company is listed by Aerovaradero as one of the freight forwarders operating within Cuba.

Horacio Lucamba, the other board member, has experience as a courier operator, according to his LinkedIn profile. He reportedly served as director of operations and logistics for Correios de Angola, the national postal service.

elTOQUE reached out to Habana Forwarding for comment but has not yet received a response.

"We fulfilled all our payment obligations to Habana Forwarding," one doctor said. "It wasn’t easy—everything we purchased was through great sacrifice. Now, we don't know when, or even if, we’ll recover our belongings," he lamented.