Western Union suspended sending remittances to Cuba

Western Union immediately suspended its shipping operations Remittances to Cuba for technical reasons in the banking system in Cuba from the United Statesreport Marty news.

A customer service representative for the Denver, Colorado-based company told the outlet that there is Problems with money transfers on the islandIt is a fact that Cuban state institutions have not reported until the publication of this note.

“What we understand is, obviously, The banks in Cuba are having some technical issues and we are working so people can continue to make their shipments” said the employee, who did not specify the type of trouble reported.

This week Banco Metropolitano reported “impact on services in branches and electronic payment channels” in its account on social network X.But the financial institution after hours Advertisement Restoration of Services.

The company Orbit SA, which operates as a non-banking financial institution with the ability to manage transfers from abroad, has not reported suspending remittance services.

The company a License to operate as a non-banking financial institution in 2022 from the Central Bank of Cuba (BCC)With the ability to manage transfers from abroad, it was approved by the Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury (OFAC) in 2020 as a dependency of the military group GAESA, replacing its peer FINCIMEX.

This week, to justify the rise in fuel prices and the postponement of its sales in foreign currency, the Cuban government said it was the target of a computer virus allegedly originating from abroad, which affected the cyber security of gas stations. .

A few hours after postponing the application of the unpopular economic package announced at the end of December, Council of State of Cuba Minister of Economy and Planning sackedAlejandro Gil Fernandez.

Gill was replaced Joaquín Alonso Vázquez, current Minister President of the Central Bank of Cuba, appointed as the new Minister of Economy and Planning. Alonso Vázquez will be replaced by Juana Lilia Delgado Portal, who was deputy minister of the Ministry of Economy and Planning and worked in the Permanent Commission for Implementation and Development.

even though mass migration Which continued in 2023, the Remittances to Cuba experienced a decline of 3.31% As compared to the year 2022, a total of 1,972.56 million dollars, A decrease of 46.93% compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019Economist Emilio Morales declared in a recent Cuba Siglo 21 dossier.

During the year 2023, it is estimated that the Cuban diaspora allocated between 1,800 and 2,200 million dollars to facilitate the migration of 200,287 Cuban immigrants to the United States.Adding to that are the costs of traveling and maintaining these individuals on US soil, the report noted.

For Morales, this flow of capital is directed towards the family’s pursuit of independence, rather than investing in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) promoted by the regime.

Many users reported in December Cuban regime’s “coralito” for remittances sent from abroad, especially in eurosThe collection delay of which has exceeded one month.

“In December they paid for the September shipment,” said the client Popular Savings Bank (BPA) who asked not to be identified.