First regular China-Cuba air cargo route launched

The first regular international cargo route between China and Cuba was opened on Wednesday with the arrival of the Beijing-Havana international flight at Jose Marti International Airport in Cuba.

Cuban Minister of Transportation Eduardo Rodriguez Davila, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Deborah Rivas Saavedra, Chinese Ambassador to Cuba Hua Xin, and representatives from the airlines of both countries attended the inauguration ceremony.

In 2024, the direct flight from Beijing to Havana via Madrid was resumed, bringing surging flows of Chinese tourists to Cuba. A year later, cargo services were added to the same passenger route, with the use of the belly cargo space. This has greatly facilitated the exchange of people and goods between the two countries.

"The launch of this cargo route will significantly promote the practical cooperation between the two countries. China and Cuba are no longer distant from each other. If the resumption of the passenger route last year is a landmark project symbolizing our people-to-people connection in hearts, the inauguration of the cargo route this time, without doubt, is a new evidence of our growing trade ties. It is also a new contribution to the joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative between China and Cuba," said Hua.

This cargo route operates two flights a week, with a capacity of 20 tons per flight. It cuts the shipping time from China to Cuba from the traditional several dozens of days by sea to less than 24 hours, effectively meeting the urgent demands for high-value goods and emergency supplies in China-Cuba trade.

"We are witnessing something exceptional: the launch of cargo flights between China and Cuba. This is significant because it will enhance bilateral trade relations and strengthen connections between the two countries, whether through exports from Cuba to China or shipments from China to Cuba," said Rodriguez.

With its prime geographical location in the Caribbean, Cuba hopes this cargo route will bring more opportunities for the country, so that Cuba could one day become a transshipment hub for Chinese goods in the Caribbean.

First regular China-Cuba air cargo route launched

First regular China-Cuba air cargo route launched

Protesters filled Mexico City's Paseo de la Reforma on Saturday, rallying in solidarity with Venezuela and denouncing U.S. influence in Latin America.

The United States launched a large-scale military operation against Venezuela in the early hours of Jan 3, taking by force Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Holding numerous flags and banners while chanting slogans intermittently, a huge crowd of protesters criticized U.S. military actions against Venezuela and the unlawful control over President Maduro and his spouse, calling for respect for national sovereignty and regional peace.

"We oppose the U.S. intervention and hegemony towards the countries in Latin America. The United States has flagrantly trampled on international law, bombed Caracas and kidnapped the Maduro couple. The U.S. interventionism has become extremely blatant. We must firmly oppose and be highly vigilant, because this is not only related to a certain country, but also to all countries," said a protester.

"We demand that the United States stop interfering in Venezuela's internal affairs. The country must immediately cease its exploitation and plundering of the countries in Latin America," said another protester.

Protest erupts in Mexico City over US military operation in Venezuela