MADRID, Spain.- The Isle of Youth, one of the most vulnerable and isolated regions of Cuba, faces a serious risk of being completely disconnected from the rest of the country due to a deep crisis in maritime transport that currently affects its connectivity. The situation, which was already critical due to the flight shortage towards the island, has worsened significantly with the deterioration and aging of the vessels that serve the maritime routes, endangering the mobility of its residents and the supply of essential products.
Cuban Minister of Transport Eduardo Rodriguez Davila was pronounced recently on this issue and acknowledged that the current crisis has pushed the situation “to the limit” and that the options for maintaining stable connectivity are increasingly scarce.
Currently, maritime transportation on the Isle of Youth depends exclusively on the Perseverancia ferry, following the decommissioning of the Río Júcaro and Río Las Casas catamarans. These vessels, which have been in operation for over 20 years, are out of service due to wear and tear from lack of adequate maintenance. According to the minister, this situation was aggravated by the lack of “convertible currencies” necessary to acquire the materials, supplies and basic parts for the maintenance of the catamarans, which has led to “overexploitation” of the Perseverancia ferry since August 11.
Rodríguez Dávila said that air alternatives are being coordinated for the coming days, although no specific details have been given on when service will resume. Meanwhile, the minister noted that the Perseverancia ferry cannot cover all routes, particularly the connection with Cayo Largo del Sur, due to its greater draft, which prevents it from docking in that area.
The Minister of Transport said that work is being done to repair the damage to the main port engine of the catamaran Río Las Casas, which went out of service on August 10. This work is being coordinated between the Maritime-Port Business Group (GEMAR), the company VIAMAR, and DAMEX shipyards, a foreign-owned company. It is expected that, if the Río Las Casas can be restored to operation, it will be able to return to traffic with certain limitations. In addition, repairs are being carried out in naval workshops abroad for two main engines of this type of vessel, which would provide greater safety in the operations of the Río Las Casas and allow the capital repair of the catamaran Río Júcaro to begin.
The minister’s statements show that there is no immediate solution in sight, so the Isle of Youth could face an unprecedented isolation in its recent history.
