The Cuban Aviation Club, which brings together aerial sports activities on the island, reported that the motorized hang glider in which two Cubans They arrived this weekend in Florida it was stolen from them and requested that action be taken against the pilots.
In a message published on the official Cubadebate website, the organization indicated that the “Trike-type ultralight” equipment with registration CU-U1619 belongs to them and that it was used to provide a service to tourism in Playas del Este, near the capital.
The statement from the official entity identified the pilots David López Alfonso and Ismael Hernández Chirino as the people who took off from a neighborhood called Tarará.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office in Key West, Florida, reported that two men arrived at that city’s international airport and were turned over to Border Patrol.
The Club requested that “the sanctions corresponding to the seriousness of the case and the return of the stolen equipment be applied to these individuals.” It was not reported whether any type of formal claim had been filed through the foreign ministry.
Cuba and the United States have formal but tense diplomatic relations due to an increase in Washington’s sanctions on the island.
In the last months of 2021 and especially in 2002 there was a radical increase in emigration to the neighboring country, while a deepening of the economic crisis was reported on the island. Some 300,000 people arrived at the southern border of the United States, to the point that the administration of President Joe Biden changed the policy for the reception of Cubans since January.
Citizens of the island – as well as Haitians, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans – must apply for permits online and have a sponsor in the United States to obtain authorization before arriving in the United States. Those who fail to meet those requirements can be deported.
In October, a Cuban pilot named Rubén Martínez diverted a fumigation plane to reach Florida. The man was granted asylum by a judge and the Cuban authorities made an official protest.
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