United States announces suspension of private charter flights to Cuba

The entrance to Jose Marti International Airport in Havana (illustrative image). REUTERS / Alexandre Meneghini

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Cuba is once again sanctioned by the administration of Donald Trump. The United States has announced the suspension of private flights to the island. Mike Pompeo, the head of American diplomacy, announced this measure in order to “cut off the economic resources” of the communist country and denounce the “abuses” of the Cuban government. Only private charter flights are affected by this suspension, a measure which from the Cuban point of view is above all electoralist.

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With our correspondent in Havana, Domitille Piron

"  Another turn of the screw on the American blockade  ," laments the Cuban press after the announcement by Mike Pompeo to suspend from October 13 all private flights between the United States and Cuba.

Public charter flights and private emergency medical or rescue flights are not affected by this new sanction, which aims to suspend funds obtained through these trips to finance “abuses” by the Cuban government.

"  We can not allow dictators to benefit from travel to the United States  ", also indicated Mike Pompeo on the social network Twitter.

Already last January, the administration of Donald Trump put an end to regular direct flights between the United States and Cuba, except to Havana airport. And the US Department of Transportation has limited the number of flights to the island to 3,600 per year.

This latest announcement therefore has a limited impact, since these private flights are only used by celebrities, businessmen or researchers.

The impact is above all political, according to the Cuban chancellery, this measure seeks to satisfy the electorate of South Florida, at a time when Donald Trump's campaign needs support in this key state.

For Cuba, it is above all a message of strengthening of the American blockade, while humanity, according to the Cuban press, calls for the end of this type of sanctions to deal with the coronavirus epidemic.

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