The Isle of Youth is once again facing difficulties in its already fragile maritime transportation system, following the announcement on Friday by the Cuban regime of the suspension of ticket sales for the ferry Perseverancia, which connects this special municipality with Surgidero de Batabanó in Mayabeque.
The reservation company Viajero announced on Friday the indefinite suspension of sales for Perseverancia, both through the Viajando app and at physical reservation agencies.
The official statement, signed by Ramón Leyva Morales, a specialist in Communication and Marketing at Viajero's headquarters, details that this measure will remain in effect "until further notice."
The situation has caused discontent among the residents of the special municipality, who largely depend on this mode of transportation to connect with the port of Batabanó in Mayabeque.
The Minister of Transport, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, acknowledged in a Facebook post that many people have been affected by the measure, especially those with sick patients who rely on the service, as well as Cubans planning to travel to another country who need to get to Havana’s airport.
He explained that "after the return departure of the ferry Perseverancia from Batabanó to Nueva Gerona last Sunday, it was necessary to halt the usual operations of this vessel, the only one currently offering maritime passenger transport services" between the two ports, in order to "improve the conditions of the access channel to the port of Surgidero de Batabanó, whose depth had been decreasing."
The interruption comes just four days after Rodríguez Dávila announced the resumption of ferry services following the passage of Hurricane Rafael.
The cyclone severely impacted the port of Batabanó, displacing buoys and causing sediment buildup that hindered maritime operations; however, the government stated that it had not affected the ferry.
Residents of the Isle of Youth have expressed their dissatisfaction with what they perceive as a gradual isolation of their territory. Maritime transportation is crucial to ensure the supply of products and services, as well as the mobility of passengers.
"The lack of a stable solution for maritime connections affects not only families but also commercial and tourist activities," commented a resident of Nueva Gerona.
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