HAVANA.- Western Uniona leading money transfer company, resumed its services between USA y Cuba after a suspension that lasted more than three months. The news was confirmed by the company’s communications director, Brad Jones.
The sending of remittances to Cuba has been suspended since last January 26, which generated concern among those who depend on these services to maintain financial ties with their relatives on the island.
“We are pleased to resume service to this vital corridor and provide essential money transfer services to those who live on the island,” said in a statement, the president of Western Union North America and Latin America, Rodrigo Garcia Estebarena, review Martí News.
Jones explained that the interruption of services, at the end of March, was related to technical problems on the Orbit platform, which operates from Cuba and serves as an intermediary for local banks. This situation significantly affected Western Union’s ability to operate effectively.
Western Union had suspended its operations to Cuba in November 2020, following the sanctions imposed by the administration of former President Donald Trump on the financial company FINCIMEX, linked to the military conglomerate GAESA.
However, in 2022, Orbit received a license from the Central Bank of Cuba to operate as a non-bank financial institution, allowing Western Union to resume services with the island in January 2023. Since then, customers in the United States can send funds to bank accounts and debit cards of different Cuban entities, with a daily limit of $2,000.
It is important to note that recipients in Cuba cannot withdraw the money in cash, since the Western Union service on the island operates only through deposits into bank accounts. Once the funds are received, beneficiaries can go to their bank and request a cash withdrawal.
“We do not have physical points of sale on the island, so this is the only channel to send funds,” said Jones, highlighting the importance of this service to maintain financial ties between residents abroad and their relatives in Cuba.
Source: With information from Martí Noticias
