The Avianca Holdings airline announces the suspension of the sale of tickets to and from Cuba, a decision attributed to “a pending issue with the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)”.  

As reported by Prensa Latina in a statement released in Bogotá, capital of Colombia, where its headquarters are located, it refers to “while resolving a pending issue with the OFAC, related to the commercial operation to Cuba, the company will suspend the sale of tickets from and towards the greater of the Antilles ”.

As announced on October 23rd, within the financial structure for obtaining a loan, Synergy Aerospace Corp, the main shareholder of Avianca Holdings, established in Delaware, United States, a limited liability company BRW, to which it transferred unilaterally all of the shares of the consortium.

According to the disclosed information, "at that time, Avianca started to be considered as a company subject to US regulations regarding the economic, commercial and financial embargo held by the White House against Cuba."

Avianca voluntarily reported this situation to the US authorities (OFAC), and it cooperates with this authority to deliver the necessary information in order to resolve timeously this situation, as added.

As part of the recrudescence towards the embargo imposed on Havana for almost six decades, the US government announced last October 25th that it will suspend flights of its airlines to several Cuban airports, except the capital.

This measure will be implemented next December and will affect travels with American Airlines and JetBlue to Cuban destinations such as Villa Clara, Camaguey and Holguín.

A wide representation of Holguín will compete for Cuba at the Latin-American International Tournament of Table Tennis Master, which will be developed in Havana from November 4th to 9th, with several countries involved.

Generally, in master events most competitors are seniors, though they also include, in case of table tennis, the category 40-44 years , where will be Mario Yadel Rodríguez from Holguín.

The provincial delegation is also integrated by Delmi Hilda Santos (category 60-64 years ), Oscar Guerra and Julio Pérez (both 56-60); Carlos Manuel Meriño and Arnaldo Amaro (60-64) and Abagail Cruz (70+74).

Moreover, Alexánder Moreno will be part of the jury, representing Holguín, and Carlos Enrique Moreno as referee.

On Wednesday, activities on the XXV edition of Iberian-American culture come to an end; such celebration has been developed in Holguín since October 24th and it counted on 200 foreigners as delegates.

The event, which had this time the motto: “the Caribbean in Iberian America, the utopia of the possible”, began with a great concert of the prestigious Cuban pianist Frank Fernández at the theater Eddy Suñol, an emblematic cultural institution located at the historical center of the eastern province.

During the event, considering its wide agenda, guests, participants and the Holguín people enjoyed books presentations, expositions, dancing and theatrical plays, so as concerts and meetings where stood out traditions of countries such as Spain, Haiti, the United States and Costa Rica.

Casa de Iberoamérica became the activity center, like every year since 1993, and welcomed the Mexican singers Ivette Ríos and Ito García, so as the Holguín songwriter Raúl Prieto, among others artists.

Regarding other important activities, there were Iberian story telling, the thought congress, the research award José Manuel Guarch Delmonte and a visit to the natural park Christopher Columbus in Rafael Freyre municipality, where the 527 anniversary of the discovery of Cuba and the encounter between aboriginal and European cultures were celebrated.

On the occasion, PhD Eduardo Ávila Rumayor, president of the Organizing Committee, announced the call for a next edition in 2020, which will be especially dedicated to new peoples in Iberian America.

The closing ceremony introduced to Sabor Genuino and Tierra Firme, as part of local talents, at Casa de Iberoamérica; besides the septet Clave in Ilé de la Rumba, both places at the center of the so-called city of parks.