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A 68-year-old Cuban is stranded in Canada after the airline Air Transat canceled her flight back to Havana amid the fuel crisis affecting Cuba, which has led to the massive suspension of operations of Canadian airlines to the island.
The woman, identified as Ivelise Lau, traveled to Canada in May to visit her daughter and meet her newborn grandson, but she now faces a distressing situation as her visa and passport expire on March 10, and her flight was scheduled for the 7th of that month. The cancellation leaves her on the brink of an irregular immigration status, with unpredictable legal consequences.
According to a report published by CTV News, Lau currently lives in Longueuil, on Montreal's South Shore, and claims to feel desperate due to the lack of immediate solutions.
"She is stressed," the media outlet noted, explaining that the issue goes far beyond a simple itinerary change. The woman needs to leave the country before her documents expire, but the options seem to be closing one after another.
Her daughter, Ivette González, reported that the family sought help from the Cuban consulate, but the response was discouraging, as the passport renewal could take up to four months, a time that Lau simply does not have. According to the same report, the consulate suggested traveling to Mexico as an option, but the family asserts that this route is not feasible.
Amid the uncertainty, they tried to book a flight with Aeroméxico, but encountered another immigration obstacle when they were informed that the passport needed to be valid for a minimum of six months to travel.
"We don't want to break the law. We just want a way out," said González. "But it seems like no one is helping us."
Lau's story unfolds against the backdrop of flight suspensions between Canada and Cuba due to a lack of aviation fuel at the island's airports, a crisis that has shaken thousands of travelers and once again highlights the logistical and energy collapse of the Cuban regime.
Air Canada announced the immediate suspension of its flights to Cuba after receiving official notices warning about the unreliability of the fuel supply. The airline explained that starting February 10, fuel would not be commercially available at Cuban airports, and it began organizing empty flights to repatriate about 3,000 Canadian customers who were already on the island.
Shortly after, WestJet also completely suspended its operations, and Air Transat confirmed it would cancel all its flights to Cuba until April 30, impacting thousands of passengers and leaving many Cubans in an extremely vulnerable situation, especially those with temporary immigration status in Canada.
For Cubans traveling with visitor visas, temporary permits, or passports close to expiration, a flight cancellation can turn into a nightmare, as it means being stranded outside of Cuba with unexpected expenses and family distress, along with the very real possibility of losing their immigration status and facing future complications when traveling or applying for permits.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Government has updated its travel advisory, raising the alert level and recommending against non-essential travel to the island due to the deterioration of basic services, fuel shortages, and prolonged blackouts.
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