If You Don’t Want to Be Embargoed, Don’t Ship

If You Don't Want to Be Embargoed, Don't Ship / Rebeca Monzo
Posted on November 11, 2015

Rebeca Monzo, 9 November 2015 — While preparing for my departure from
Miami, a friend suggested I ship part of my luggage by sea to lighten my
load and the custom duties. To do this, we turned to an agency
advertised on local TV.

The staff at the company, Tu Envío a Cuba (Your Shipment to Cuba) was
very attentive and professional, which made us feel this was a reliable
alternative. They assured us the packages would arrive in Cuba within
twenty-three days or less, which further encouraged me to choose this
option. What was never mentioned was how the process would play out once
the shipment arrived in the country.

Sometime after the estimated time of arrival, I decided to call the
offices here in Havana. After countless attempts over several days, I
managed to get in touch with the information department, which provided
me with the long-awaited answer. I was told my package had in fact
arrived on October 18 at 2:30 pm (on the scheduled date no less), and I
was even provided with a confirmation number. But when I insisted on
details about the delivery date, they responded categorically that the
shipping container in which my package arrived was at the port of Mariel
and that I would have to wait three months due to shortages of trucks
and manpower.

I decided to look into the matter further and discovered that one
company, Almacenes Universal (Universal Warehouses), controls
transportation and distribution of all merchandise, both state and
private sector, throughout the island. Though the company has a fleet of
vehicles at its disposal, they have never been fully operational. Many
of its trucks are broken or in repair shops, hence all the delays now
being experienced in delivering what are in many cases essential
supplies to commercial and manufacturing enterprises.
Therefore, as one might expect, those of us who decide to ship some of
our luggage by sea have to sit and wait patiently since we are not among
the government's priorities.

What is even worse is that the company to which we as travelers entrust
our personal possessions does not warn us of these problems before
taking our orders and collecting our money, as logic would dictate.

In my particular case, I can afford to wait, though this is neither the
best nor the desired outcome. Unfortunately, however, this situation
also impacts supplies of pharmaceuticals, soft drinks, mineral water and
many other essential products, leading to regular shortages at
pharmacies that affect the entire population.

Source: If You Don't Want to Be Embargoed, Don't Ship / Rebeca Monzo |
Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/if-you-dont-want-to-be-embargoed-dont-ship-rebeca-monzo/