In times of need, you help your friends. It was just a small message. The last direct flight from the Netherlands (and Belgium) to Cuba will be stopped in May. There is simply too little demand, a logical commercial decision. So? Over and out with the famous and previously well-visited (holiday) island? Well not right away… a handful of airlines will continue to fly from Germany or France for the time being. You can get there if you want, although it’s a bit of a hassle. But still, the message hurt for a moment. Passport And we all know why. It will be known to travel sellers in the Netherlands that you with a Cuban stamp (dated on or after January 12, 2021) in your passport are not eligible for the American visa waiver, ESTA. Then a forest of bureaucracy full of paperwork and much higher costs awaits. Anyway, the average Dutch traveler doesn’t do that, I get it. And yes, I know, Cuba doesn’t stamp passports now, but you’d rather not take the risk. Trump It was Donald Trump, in his last inglorious period as US president, who designated the Caribbean island as a ‘State Sponsor of Terrorism‘. In his well-known way, stripped of any intelligence, he ‘plored’ Cuba into the terror corner with Syria, Yemen, Iran, Iraq and North Korea, among others… countries of a completely different geopolitical calibre. But Cuba is not a rogue state. The island is very poor and the only thing that really rushes through the air are baseballs. Predecessor Barack Obama had just taken the country off that damned terror list in 2015. In those days, it seemed only a matter of time before the first McDonalds would open on Calle Obispo. Everyone in Europe and Canada wanted to get a quick grasp of the ‘old Cuba’, the last sigh of old Fidel. After that, the renovation would begin. But then came stupid Donald, and – it must be said – the elderly Biden and he thought it was all fine too. The simple conclusion is that we won’t get any changes in the next four and a half years. Soul and karma I fully understand that Cuba is not a utopian state. In my opinion, it is one of the most special destinations there is. I suspect that many travel professionals will agree with me, especially those who have visited the country. Historically and culturally of great value. An island with a soul, music and people with the most beautiful stories, where, for once, the colonial aggressor has become acquainted with karma. It has no place on the terror list, Cuba is simply brutally ‘kaltgestellt’ by the US. And before we just put this on the Americans… I also didn’t hear any parliamentary questions about whether we could have raised this with our ‘ally’ or whether something could/can’t be done differently. Amigo I love Cuba, her music and the memories of my (only) two visits. You learn a lot as a human being. In the song ‘Guantanamera’ the verses of the Cuban freedom fighter Jose Marti are discussed, in which he poetically stands up for the disadvantaged of this world. I would like to endorse that here. Even if it’s a bit of a hassle, you can really get there. So don’t forget Cuba, in whatever way you have at your disposal. From Guantanamera: Para el amigo sincero. Que me da su mano franca. (For the sincere friend who reaches out his hand to me)
