Cuba begins to evacuate its nationals stranded in Haiti

The Cuban government reported this Friday that it had begun to evacuate more than 250 citizens trapped for almost two months in Haiti, devastated by the gang violence and political turmoil.

Cuban citizens began to be transported in a convoy of buses from the capital, Port-au-Prince, to Cap Haitien, on the northern coast of the Caribbean country, according to a message from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the social network X.

From there, they will be transferred back to Cuba on flights operated by Haiti-based Sunrise Airways, the ministry added.

Ministry sources said the first flight was expected to arrive in Cuba this Friday at the Camagüey airport, 500 kilometers east of the capital, Havana.

Four more flights are expected to take place to Camagüey during the weekend and a sixth to Santiago de Cuba on Sunday.

Haiti, already mired in a political and security crisis, has seen an increase in violence since late February, when several armed gangs joined forces to attack strategic sites in Port-au-Prince. The capital's airport has remained closed since then.

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channels Youtube, WhatsApp and to the newsletter. Turn on notifications and follow us on Facebook, x and instagram.