A global logistics service platform in China's Shanghai has seen falling volume of orders for routes to Venezuela, especially the port of La Guaira, which was damaged by the U.S. military airstrike on Jan. 3.
The aftermath of the strike has impacted trade in goods between China and Venezuela, which grew by 52.5 percent year on year to 6.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2024.
The latest data from the Shanghai-based global digital logistics platform YQN show that some exporters have suspended their plans of delivery at the port of La Guaira. And for containers that have already left China, exporters generally wanted to shift the route to the Port of Colon in Panama, or stop at a port of transshipment.
"Around 20 percent of our Latin America-related clients have called us to learn about the relevant situations in Venezuela. And most of the clients are holding a wait-and-see attitude," said an employee serving Latin America routes of the YQN.
"The order volume has indeed declined, and the relevant clients are mostly having a wait-and-see attitude. In the longer term, there will be more impacts on exports to Venezuela in terms of insurances and clauses of trade contracts," said Liu Yuanlu, expert on Latin America routes of the YQN.
U.S. airstrike on Venezuela's La Guaira port has lasting impact on trade: logistics platform
A youth march themed "Here with Fidel" was held in Havana, Cuba, on Wednesday to call for an end to the U.S. blockade.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, and other party and state leaders participated in the event.
At 08:00, members of Cuba's Union of Young Communists and the Jose Marti Pioneers Organization, along with people from various sectors gathered at the iconic Malecón waterfront promenade in the capital. The participants first delivered speeches and staged artistic performances to express their determination to inherit history, oppose the blockade, and defend the revolutionary cause. Following this, the parade, featuring cyclists and motorcyclists, set off from the José Martí Sports Stadium.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro's birth and April 4 is the anniversary of the founding of the Union of Young Communists in 1962.
One participant said that Cuba does not deserve the unjust treatment it has endured for decades.
"Cuba is a country of peace, a country of love, and it does not deserve this unjust blockade that we are currently facing. The youth at the centenary of Fidel Castro are stepping up to defend and support the revolution. We will not stop because Cuba is a country that resists and lives,” said a participant.
Another participant spoke of the difficult times facing the nation and the essential role of young people.
"We are living through very complex times in our country. Amid all this, young people must play a fundamental role. Here we are; we arrived by bicycle, and some have come on foot. Hopefully, this message reaches the world. I hope that young people from different nations can connect with each other, coming together more and more to strive for a better planet," he said.
Cuban youth hold march to protest U.S. blockade
Cuban youth hold march to protest U.S. blockade
