{"id":250026,"date":"2022-03-06T09:33:50","date_gmt":"2022-03-06T14:33:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=250026"},"modified":"2022-03-06T09:33:50","modified_gmt":"2022-03-06T14:33:50","slug":"cubans-in-russia-also-trapped-by-the-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/society-cuba\/migrations-in-cuba\/cubans-in-russia-also-trapped-by-the-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Cubans in Russia, also \u201ctrapped\u201d by the war"},"content":{"rendered":"

Elkis carefully prepared herself for what was to be her farewell meal with her family in Moscow. She went early to the Perekrestok supermarket and after separating the money for the taxi to the airport, she spent her last rubles on a piece of meat, salad, rice, sweets and even a couple of beers for her and her husband Eddy, and a soft drink for Angelo, her 16-year-old son.<\/span><\/p>\n

As she was about to start cooking, they received notice of her flight suspension.<\/span><\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t know it, but the cancellation of that and other flights to Latin America and the Caribbean had previously been announced.<\/span><\/p>\n

The European Union closed its airspace to Russian airlines as part of the sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Shortly after, the United States took a similar step, making travel to the Americas very difficult, if not impossible.<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

Eight months ago, Elkis left her native Bauta, in the province of Artemisa, and arrived in Moscow with all her savings and a lot of plans and dreams, egged on by a sister-in-law who told her that \u201cthis is great, there\u2019s everything,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Elkis
Elkis and her family. Photo: courtesy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

What they did not know then was the impossibility of their stay becoming legal, and therefore, of accessing secure and well-paid jobs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHere they scammed us several times, Cubans and Russians,\u201d she says now.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy husband was the first to get a job in construction, he spent several weeks working from morning to night and never got paid. I worked cleaning in a store and also no payment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: courtesy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Photo:
Photo: courtesy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The story, similar to that of other compatriots, was repeated over and over again. In a cold and expensive city like Moscow, such instability can be fatal and highly stressful. Even the young Angelo, who in these months has not been able to do much more than \u201centertain himself on the internet,\u201d has already suffered nervous breakdowns.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn all this time we have survived mainly thanks to the help that my sisters have been able to send us from the United States, with a thousand sacrifices. With that we have been able to pay the rent, and now we have been able to raise the money for the tickets to Cuba,\u201d she explains.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

Elkis\u2019s family is part of hundreds of Cubans whose plans and lives were affected by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many of them have been stranded in Moscow, as in a deja vu of the worst moments of the pandemic, now adding the uncertainty of all kinds that Russia is experiencing due to the war with Ukraine and Western sanctions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cuba coordina el regreso de sus ciudadanos desde Rusia<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n