The American company Western Union (WU) resumed shipping services for remittances to Cuba through “a pilot program” with the hope of expanding its operations in the future, as reported The New Herald.
“It is with great pleasure that we announce the resumption of our operations in Cuba with an initial trial phase of outbound service from the United States to customers with Cuban bank accounts through select US agent locations,” said Gabriella Fitzgerald, division president, WU North America, quoted by the American media.
According to the company statement, referred to by the Heraldthe service is only available in some points in Miami, “selected locations of Florida Check Cashing, Navarro, Sedanos, La Fama Supermarkets, Exito Supermarkets, Mundo Communicatel, Price Choice Foodmarket and J&R Century.”
Sending money through Western’s website or app is not yet widely available, according to the company.
But customers who go to the aforementioned locations can send up to $2,000 in a single transaction to Cubans with debit cards or accounts at Banco Popular de Ahorro, Banco Metropolitano SA and Banco de Credito y Comercio (Bandec).
The recipient of the money must provide government-issued identification (ID).
The company, the report explains, announced that transfer fees vary depending on the amount sent and whether the customer uses a retail store or (in the future) a digital platform.
Rumors about the reestablishment of services to Cuba through the WU grew this week, after people in the United States reported having made transfers to the island through this route and warned that they have not yet reached their beneficiaries.
However, according to the communication from the company cited by the Heraldfunds sent may already be available the same day if sent before noon, and will be deposited in US dollars.
Some users contacted by OnCuba They report having used the digital application in a brief period of time in which it was apparently available as part of the tests carried out by WU within the pilot program.
Among those who confirm the above is the professor and activist Carlos Lazocoordinator of the Bridges of Love project, who, beyond these adjustments and delays, celebrates, like many other Cubans in the United States, that remittances can be resumed through WU.
“That there is the possibility of safely, economically, sending money to our relatives in Cuba through Western Union, is our right that gives us great joy and satisfaction,” Lazo told our media outlet, who recalled that the Safe sending of remittances was one of the requests made by Puentes de Amor and by a large part of the Cuban community in the United States to Joe Biden, even before he arrived at the White House.
“We hope that very soon the shipment can be enabled again on-line and this program can be extended not only in the United States, but throughout the world, because this plan exists only for Americans, for Cuban-Americans, but at this time in other countries of the world the use of WU to send money is not allowed To Cuba. And I hope that all these cruel and inhumane measures are lifted, and that not only remittances and bank transfers are fully restored, but also commercial, political, and aid and cooperation relations between the peoples of Cuba and the United States.” added the professor.
Before the company suspended its operations, in November 2020, experts estimated that remittances were the second largest source of income in the country, points out the Florida outlet.
Western Union will end its operations in Cuba on November 23
In November 2020, the 407 payment points that Western Union had on the Island closed due to the sanctions of the United States government, with Donald Trump in the presidency. The company operated on the island in conjunction with the financial company Cimex SA (Fincimex).
Western Union is interested in “playing a substantial role” in supporting the development of newly authorized small and medium-sized private companies in Cuba, according to John Kavulich, president of the United States-Cuba Economic and Trade Council, quoted by the Herald.
Money sent to Cuba through Western Union is processed through Orbit SA, an entity operated by the Cuban government legally constituted in 2020, when a resolution published in The Cuban Gazette announced that it was authorized to “manage and process international transfers from abroad to Cuba” and “provide payment services from abroad through its infrastructure.”
In May 2022, the government of President Biden announced that it would increase flights to Cuba and lift the limits on remittances to the Island.
“We will support Cuban families and businessmen by allowing a greater flow of remittances to the Cuban people […] We will remove the cap on family remittances of $1,000 per quarter and support remittance donations to Cuban entrepreneurs, both with the goal of further empowering families to support each other and entrepreneurs to expand their businesses. With these actions, we intend to support the aspirations for freedom and greater opportunities in your country,” said a statement from the government at the time. Department of State.
