Latin America
Related: About this forumWestern Union to resume service between US, Cuba
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May 14, 2024
Western Union resumed service between the U.S. and Cuba through its processing partner Orbit S.A. Customers can send money to Cuba from any U.S. retail location, online or through the mobile app, according to a press release.
Funds can be sent to bank accounts and debit cards to Banco Popular de Ahorro, Banco Metropolitano S.A. and Banco de Credito y Comercio.
"We understand our service is a crucial connection between those living in the U.S. and their family living in Cuba," Rodrigo Garcia Estebarena, president, Western Union North America and Latin America, said in the release. "We are pleased to resume service to this vital corridor and provide essential money transfer services to those living on the island."
https://www.atmmarketplace.com/news/western-union-to-resume-service-between-us-cuba/
Marcus IM
(3,001 posts)Now that the US's extraterritorial sanctions have accomplished systematic starvation and destruction of the economy, with the banking institutions unable to work with Cuba because of the "terrorist list" bullshite, NOW Americans (mainly Cuban "exiles"and Cuban-Americans) can send money much more easily now. To buy what? There's already desperate scarcity with the pesos they do have now. What good does this do now other than stimulate black markets for the highest bidders ... only those with family in the US.
Judi Lynn
(162,290 posts)who moved to and set up operations in South Florida actually controlling US policy since 1960, such a longc, pahinful hellish experience for the people of Cuba who didn't run off to the US, to bide their time until the US Gov't would overthrow the revolution and put them back in charge.
That's what Florida Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has told people for years, that they all expected the US would give them their power back.
In the meantime, people from other countries visiting Cuba have been aware of certain "exile" entrepreneurs loading up on cheap crap from discount stores in Cuba and heading there to sell them to sell it all to Cuban citizens for prices costing Cubans far more than it was worth here. They have used Cuba as a profitable hustle all these years.
I first heard it over 20 years ago. The source is a Canadian journalist who has gone to Cuba multiple times, starting years ago. During that time we've also heard from a British poster who lived near London who started vacationing there and told us about it long ago. He said people he met in Cuba from Europe, Canada hoped it would be a while before Americans started flooding the island and ruining it for people who love Cuba as it is!
That's another thing: most US citizens haven't realized Cuban "exiles" and their offspring have regularly gone to Cuba from the first to visit relatives, friends, etc., all the while insisting Cuba is a horrible police state, and that's why they "fled" to the US! That came out during the Elián González drama which played out during Bill Clinton's Presidency long ago. People just didn't take the time to think about what they had heard or read, usually. That's when I did suddenly realize I wondered why "exiles" wouldn't be afraid to go to a country they told everyone here was a living hell, and deadly commie police state!
So the embargo has achieved part of its mission, as first sought, all the way back to Christmas Eve, 1897, and was stated in the Breckenridge Memorandum, written by the Undersecretary of War, John Breckenridge, who worked for President McKinley. That far back! They finally made it, didn't they? The expected result will be the population feeling the pain so much they will rise in desperation and overthrow any government the US doesn't want there.
Marcus IM
(3,001 posts)What there is are demonstrations for more socialist infrastructures and subsidized markets. The people there know what the cause is because they're involved and informed. After all, they're the people waiting in long lines for cooking fuel.
I really do wish the best for the good and decent people in Cuba. They've suffered far too much for too long.
Let's hope that the US/Biden admin's revision of the Cuban status on the terror list (as if) will lead to easing more US sanctions - there are many to unwind and that would take decades.