Washington’s decision to ban charter flights to Cuba is dictated by the electoral political situation, said Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, Director of the U.S. Department of State at the Caribbean Foreign Office.
Washington’s decision to ban charter flights to Cuba is dictated by the pre-election political situation in the United States and harms the interests of ordinary Cubans. This statement was made on Thursday by Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, Director of the U.S. Department of Foreign Affairs of the Caribbean country.
“This measure has little practical effect, but we reject it because it affects the interests of Cubans on both sides of the Strait of Florida and their need for family contact. Such a move is aimed at meeting electoral needs in southern Florida and confirms the disrespect of imperialism for Cubans and Americans of Cuban origin,” the diplomat’s Twitter account of the foreign policy department.
On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo announced Washington’s decision to ban virtually all charter flights to Cuba in order to “reduce the income of the Cuban government from landing fees, accommodation at hotels owned by the regime, and other travel related profits. According to the Secretary of State, most hotels and tourist facilities in Cuba are owned and operated by the Cuban military and intelligence services.
In January, U.S. authorities banned U.S. airlines from chartering flights to all airports in Cuba except Havana. Such measures, according to the State Department, will limit Cuba’s ability to generate income, which the U.S. Foreign Ministry believes it “uses to finance the ongoing repression of the Cuban people and the unacceptable support” of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.
On October 26, 2019, the United States banned flights to Cuba (except Havana) by U.S. airlines that operate regular, not charter flights.