Cuba Lifts Restrictions on Essential Goods Brought in by Travelers
HAVANA TIMES – The Cuban government did a policy about face and announced it will allow incoming travelers to bring in unlimited food, medicine and hygiene products without having to pay a customs tax for the rest of 2021, reported Democracy Now.
The move comes after several days of rare anti-government demonstrations, with people decrying a lack of medicines and basic goods. Failed agricultural and economic policies, combined with US embargo restrictions and other sanctions, and the pandemic, has ordinary Cubans suffering big time.
The decision is a tacit admission of the humanitarian crisis facing the country, something the government was unwilling to admit until the massive July 11th protests.
July 17, 6 AM Toronto international airport I was informed that at 4 o’clock that morning the Cuban government restricted incoming baggage to one checked bag per person. So much for unlimited food and medicine, I had to leave 70 pounds of it in the Canadian airport. Very sad
What a lame concession. The most generous airline allows 100 pound of baggage. In my 33 trips to Cuba in the last 4 years I have never had any medicine confiscated but I have had hundreds of pounds of factory sealed frozen meat taken away. Especially around holidays. I also had a factory sealed 2 ounce bottle of oregano opened and checked by a drug dog and a chemist. It’s so misleading between 2019 and 2020 the Cuban government imported 2.3 million tons of chicken from the united states at a cost of about 40 cents a pound according to the UN. There is no embargo on food, medicine, medical equipment or personal hygiene products from the US.
Hard to imagine a government so desperate it has to encourage tourists and travelers to bring basic things, to meet the basic needs of its citizens, in their luggage.
Crumbs for the people. Meanwhile Fidel’s grandson posting a video on Instagram in his Mercedes Benz.
It is impossible to get flights and air cargo space from Ont to Cuba at a fair price. 3 nonprofit groups are working on a plan but do not trust the Cuban gov to send a container I except for low value items like used bikes.