By Randy Alonso Falcón on September 7, 2021
Carlos Fernández de Cossío, photo: Abel Padrón Padilla
When you hear a White House press conference or the corporate media talk about Cuba it is mostly wrapped in vague double speak, loaded with rumor bait, slander and lies to keep us all guessing in the dark. Here is a refreshing straight forward response from a Cuban official to a Cuban media outlet about where things currently stand between the US and Cuba on pertinent issues. – editorial
Certain U.S. press, especially that of South Florida, and the digital media financed against Cuba, have been filled in recent days with headlines that try to make out a move by the White House with humanitarian overtones towards our country.
There is talk of steps to reopen the U.S. consulate in Cuba, the resumption of remittances and the authorization of humanitarian flights.
In view of the succession of assumptions circulating in the networks, Cubadebate contacted the General Director for the United States in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX), Carlos Fernández de Cossío to clarify these issues.
-Is there any indication that the U.S. government is going to resume the possibility of sending remittances to Cuba?
The United States has not resumed remittances to Cuba, it only announced that it was going to make a decision on the matter. As of today, remittances are still prohibited.
-Is MINREX aware of a decision by the State Department to reopen its consular services in Havana?
It has not reestablished the immigration and consular services of its embassy in Cuba, nor staffed the mission with the required personnel, it simply announced that diplomats could be accompanied by their spouses, which since 2017 they have been prohibited, and that it will hire some of these for work at the embassy.
-Has the U.S. government offered flights with humanitarian aid for Cuba?
It has not offered Cuba any cargo flights to transport humanitarian aid, it simply granted licenses to two airlines to operate a very limited number of cargo flights between the two countries, while the general flight ban imposed in August 2020 remains in effect.
Source: Cubadebate, translation Resumen Latinoamericano – English