Cuba, Meliá announces closure of 15 hotels
US pressure hits the tourism sector, already weakened by the energy crisis
Key points
- The exit from Cuba takes place with immediate effect
- US sanctions could also affect the Spanish group
- A few days ago, the Iberostar group also left Cuba
The grip of US sanctions against Cuba causes further damage to the Caribbean island's tourism sector, already severely weakened by the energy crisis. The Spanish hotel group Meliá announces the cessation of its tourism activities in Cuba 'with immediate effect' due to the 'current situation'.
A few days ago, another Spanish hotel chain, Iberostar, announced that it had discontinued the management of twelve Cuban hotels belonging to Gaviota, the tourism group controlled by the Gaesa military conglomerate, which has been hit in recent weeks by the sanctions imposed by the United States.
The Melià Group, writes in a statement, "In light of the events and circumstances taking place in the geopolitical, social, legal and economic context of the Republic of Cuba, Meliá Hotels International informs (...) that it has taken the decision to immediately stop providing management and marketing services" for its 15 hotels in Cuba. The move comes amid a geopolitical backdrop marked by the US ultimatum, which set 5 June as the deadline for sanctioning foreign companies operating in the Caribbean country and linked to Gaesa, a Cuban state-owned conglomerate.
Raul turns 95
In the same hours Raul Castro turned 95 years old. The last leading figure of the Castro revolution, brother of Fidel and former Cuban president, was indicted by the United States for the 1996 downing of two planes of the anti-Castro organisation Brothers to the Rescue. The birthday, however, comes at one of the most difficult times for Cuba. In recent months increasingly frequent blackouts have led to protests in several cities, with residents taking to the streets to bang pots and pans against power cuts.The island has been under US embargo since 1962, but since the beginning of the year pressure from Washington has increased. On Raul Castro's birthday came a message of support from Russia: Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated Moscow's 'firm solidarity' with Cuba, denouncing the external pressure exerted on the island. A political condemnation that was accompanied by concrete help, the dispatch to Cuba of two ships loaded with crude oil. Which, however, will only ease the energy emergency for a few weeks.
