The Government says it is carrying out “steps to guarantee the safe return”, but the conditions could prolong the operation over time.
HAVANA TIMES – Some 258 Cubans remain stranded in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. The flight that was supposed to leave for Havana on February 29, was hit by gunfire from armed gangs that have the country in a state of suspension. Haiti is a destination coveted by mules for their purchases, but the violence has led to the cancellation of all flights.
Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez, said on Wednesday that the Embassy “is making arrangements to guarantee the safe return of Cubans residing and in transit in that country, in the face of the increase in violence by criminal gangs and clashes with law enforcement.”
The minister stated that the situation of the Cubans is being addressed precisely on the day that some of those affected began to make their situation public through videos disseminated on their social networks. Among them there are groups from Havana, Camagüey and Santiago that have shared their situation, which they describe as distressing due to the lack of explanations from the airline and the climate of insecurity that has led the Haitian authorities to declare a state of emergency.
“We are practically without resources, and we want to know if Sunrise Airways is sending us a flight because we haven’t received any communication from them. They sent us home without a response; they don’t answer our emails and don’t respond to messages,” says one of the victims. “Thankfully, we have a friend who takes care of the rent and is making a great effort to bring us food,” adds another. “We need answers of any kind, both from the Cuban Government and from Sunrise Airways.”
In another video, a man from Camagüey whose flight was canceled on Friday, March 1, complains that the airline doesn’t respond at all and their families are worried. They themselves are afraid.
Sunrise Airways,