HAVANA (Reuters) – Argentine jet fuel providers in Buenos Aires refused to service Cuban state airline Cubana this week citing concerns over U.S. trade sanctions on Cuba, the Havana-based carrier said late on Wednesday, prompting multiple unexpected flight cancellations.
Cubana de Aviacion S.A., which operates flights within Cuba and to various cities internationally, said it had cancelled flights on April 23 and 24, as well as other flights contracted to partner airlines, forcing the company to rebook passengers or provide refunds.
“This decision is due to the refusal of aviation fuel supply companies in the Republic of Argentina to provide service to the airline, invoking the provisions of the United States blockade measures against Cuba,” the airline said in a brief statement.
Argentina`s foreign ministry and Office of the Presidency did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the matter.
The U.S. trade embargo against Cuba was put in place following Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution.
The web of U.S. laws and regulations complicate financial transactions and the acquisition of goods and services by the Cuban government, while also raising risks for foreign companies who trade with Cuba.
Cubana`s long-standing flights between Havana and Buenos Aires ran largely unfettered despite the sanctions under the administration of Argentina`s leftist former president Alberto Fernandez, who maintained close ties with Cuba.
But Argentina’s President Javier Milei, a far-right libertarian who took office on Dec. 10, is unabashedly pro-United States and has taken a cooler stance towards leftist trade partners in the region and overseas, including Brazil and China.
Cuba has been largely silent on Milei`s election.
