Stranded in Cuba by COVID-19, Cuban-American travelers return to Miami
Hundreds of Cuban Americans who were stranded in Cuba after Havana shut down its borders due to the coronavirus pandemic returned to Miami on Friday on two charter flights secured with the help of the U.S. Embassy in Havana.
“Finally they arrived. I was desperate,” said a man waiting in the arrivals area of Miami International Airport around 2 p.m. Friday, about his relatives who were stranded in Cuba after the government in March shut down travel.
“We never thought that the situation would be complicated like this,” said the man, who declined to be identified.
The arrival terminals at MIA were almost empty. Several of the passengers complained that they did not have their temperature taken upon arrival in the United States, nor were they informed of quarantine measures.
The first flight from the island carried 180 passengers. A second flight was scheduled to arrive at about 6 p.m. with 112 passengers. Both planes were from Delta Air Lines.
Miami resident Angela Kim said it was agonizing to be separated for so long from her 76-year-old father, who was stranded on the island.
“It was because of the efforts of the United States Embassy that those flights are arriving today,” said Kim, 49. “Only because of the government’s push were we able to recover our family members. I am proud to be an American.”
Her father, Alberto Kim, said he urged other Cuban-born nationals not to return to the island in an effort to regain permanent residence there, a process known as “repatriation.” Those who obtain residency in Cuba often have to abide by the same rules as its citizens.
“They did not let me leave [Cuba] because they said I was Cuban,” he said
The Cuban government imposed a monthlong travel ban on March 24 in an attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. That mandate prohibited Cubans from entering or leaving the island, including those “repatriated” Cuban nationals who live abroad.
“Everyone over there is taking care of themselves in the houses, but things are chaotic. Because of my age, I couldn’t stand in line and then I didn’t have anything to eat, ”said Kim, who was in Cárdenas, in the province of Matanzas, east of Havana.
Sequestered in hotels at a cost
Orlando Gobaira, 77, described the experience as “an ordeal.”
“I am from Santiago de Cuba. They took us to the Hotel Riviera in Havana and we had to pay $25 [for accommodation] plus $10 for food every day,” he said. “They charged us for everything. They even charged us $2 for a soda. The American Embassy had to lend us money because it was not enough for us with so many payments.”
From there, Gobaira said that he was transferred against his will to the Habana Libre hotel, which had “very bad conditions.”
According to Gobaira, there were many Argentines, Italians and French tourists in the hotels. “The Argentines ran out of money but the government of that country made a deal [with the Cuban government] so that they would be charged less,” he said.
The U.S. Embassy in Cuba said it “vigorously” advocated for the departure of all citizens and residents.
Embassy spokeswoman Mara Tekach told el Nuevo Herald that the State Department has helped get more than 65,000 Americans out of 55 countries where they were stranded. In the case of Cuba, 380 citizens and permanent residents were scheduled to leave on flights back to the United States.
According to official data from the Cuban government, 7,071 Cubans residing abroad and 5,600 tourists were stranded on the island. Authorities have not said how many U.S. citizens and permanent residents were among those stranded.
“The United States government has vigorously advocated for the departure of Cuban Americans with dual citizenship, and will continue to do so,” Tekach said.
“The Cuban government enacted restrictions on the departure of all Cuban nationals on March 24 for one month. In spite of that, the U.S. government has advocated the departure of these Cuban Americans with dual nationality,” she added.
The diplomat thanked Delta for the help with the evacuation and said that the State Department prioritizes “the safety” of citizens and residents abroad.
“We are facing a historic challenge with this pandemic,” she said.
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This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 6:46 PM.
