Food and fuel shortages along with the lack of medicine and basic necessities has prompted the Canadian government to issue a travel warning to its citizens planning an apartheid vacation in Cuba.
Via Diario de Cuba (my translation):
The Government of Canada has advised its citizens interested in traveling to Cuba for tourism to “exercise a high degree of caution” due to the “shortage on the island of essential products, including food, medicines, and fuel.” This is according to the most recent update on the Canadian government’s website, where they outline the risks travelers may face in terms of health, safety, and protection, among others.
The advisory, issued following the loss of a tourist’s body who died in Varadero and was found in Russia after the family’s report, warns that “standards of mortuary services in Cuba differ from those in Canada. Cultural and religious beliefs are not taken into account” and that “timeframes for repatriating human remains are long and expensive.”
Regarding safety issues, it notes that minor crimes, such as pickpocketing and violent assaults, mainly occur in “markets, public buses, nightclubs, and beaches,” although they “may also occur in isolated areas.”
“Theft in hotel rooms is common, particularly in private accommodations (casas particulares) and in cars.”
Among other recommendations, the Government of Canada advises its citizens to “avoid displaying signs of wealth,” “keep electronic devices out of sight,” “not carry valuables in checked luggage,” “avoid carrying large amounts of cash,” and “never leave belongings unattended in a vehicle.”
“Incidents of violent crimes are infrequent but assaults can occur. They mainly occur during a robbery. Stay in accommodations with good security. Keep your windows and doors locked at all times,” it adds, referring to the increase in crime rates on the island, which Havana denies.
Travel advisories also dedicate a significant section to scams and credit card fraud at ATMs.
The decades of brutal oppression and enslavement of the Cuban people has never bothered Canada, but it will not tolerate their citizens enjoying apartheid vacation to suffer any of the misery Cubans suffer every single day.
Now more than ever, any foreigner who vacations in Cuba is asking for trouble–and deserves it.