Concerns raised about “camping Cubans” at CJIA

Over the past months, several outgoing travellers have complained about their free flow of passage at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) being hampered by Cuban nationals who are using the airport as a camping ground.
There has, of recent, been an influx of Cubans into Guyana to do business. On a daily basis, hundreds of Cubans would line the streets of Georgetown, conversing in their native language as they spend exorbitant amounts of money on clothes to take back to Cuba.
Caribbean Airlines recently began offering flights to Cuba, but Cuban nationals have been using chartered flights to take their cargo back to their homeland. As of recent, Cuban nationals utilising Copa Airlines and InselAir have been using the departure section of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport as camping ground as they await their flights.
Employees at the airport have related that the Cubans would arrive with their multiple pieces of luggage several hours before their flights are due — and in some cases the nights before their flights are due — and just camp out in the waiting area.
The airport employees have related that this issue has already been raised with management of the CJIA, but very little is being done to address it.
One traveller told Guyana Times it is absolutely disgraceful that Cuban nationals are allowed to simply camp out in their numbers in front of the Departure Area, with no provisions being in place for their comfort. He questioned whether the airline or the administration of the airport should be held accountable for this situation.
CJIA employees relate that the issue is becoming out of hand because the number of Cuban passengers is steadily growing. They relate that sometimes these foreigners would send their baggage ahead while they wait for another flight.
Local businesses have reported that most of their customers are Cubans or Brazilians who are shopping for clothing at reasonably cheap prices to take back to their home countries.
A simple walk through the streets of Georgetown on a daily basis would be enough to convince an enquirer about the factual basis of the business owners’ statement. On a daily basis, the streets are lined with Cubans and Brazilians armed with enormous shopping bags, chatting away and shopping like at Christmastime.
One of the newest requirements for stores to hire sales representatives is the ability to converse in either Spanish or Portuguese, and the ability to speak both languages means preferential hiring.
When this newscast visited the airport on Wednesday, travellers related their concerns about the situation, and free access to the departure area was obstructed by numerous pieces of luggage lining the area.
Security guards were observed trying to police the Cubans, but because of the language barrier, it was proving to be a difficult task for them.
This publication reached out to the Chief Executive Officer of the CJIA, Ramesh Ghir, for a comment on the situation, but was told to direct all questions to the Public Relations Department. An email was sent to the department, but up to press time, a response was yet to be received.
In January, hundreds of Cuban nationals were stranded for over three days after their chartered flight had encountered mechanical difficulties. In that instance, they used the CJIA as a camping ground to wait for their flight.