Corruption at Varadero Airport: $100 Bribe for E-Cigarettes

A Cuban woman reported by phone that a worker at the Varadero airport allegedly extorted her husband on April 5th. Her husband, arriving from Canada, attempted to pass through airport controls with three electronic cigarettes. The worker demanded $100 to let him through. The man, planning to give the money as gifts to children, handed over the sum.

After clearing the checkpoint at Juan Gualberto Gómez airport, the Canadian citizen recounted the incident to his Cuban wife, who was outraged and explained that the worker's actions were illegal. Determined to take action, the woman, who identifies as Amanda Benavides on Facebook, called the airport and reported the situation, taking advantage of the fact that her husband had noted the worker's name. Airport authorities assured her that they would address the issue.

Last October, Cuban Customs reiterated in a statement that electronic cigarettes are considered harmful to human health and promote the consumption of narcotics and drugs, which are subject to a zero-tolerance policy in the country.

The wife's complaint yielded no results. When her husband was about to board his return flight to Canada, he encountered the same worker who allegedly extorted him. "I wonder why no action was taken. Are all the authorities sharing the money they extort from passengers? I called again and was told they were working on it, but I'm using this platform to push for a solution to prevent such issues," Benavides wrote on Facebook.

Among the comments on her post, one user praised her for speaking out but warned her not to expect much change, stating, "It's an old problem and deeply rooted." Another Cuban lamented that such behavior discourages visitors to the island. "You can't even visit Cuba. My sister was asked for $50 for smoking, which she paid out of desperation and stress. As she was about to board the plane, they even demanded the sandals she was wearing. It's outrageous."

Many agreed that the complaint against the extorting worker was "in vain." "Cuban Customs complaints are useless. At the end of their shift, they share the extorted money without exception," commented another user in response to the post.

Incidents and negative experiences at Cuban airports are ongoing. Late last year, a Cuban traveling from Miami to Havana reported that one of his suitcases was stolen upon arrival at José Martí airport, attributing the incident to worker corruption.

The incident occurred on October 25th. The passenger, who flew with Delta Airlines, arrived in Cuba at 3:45 pm via terminal 3, according to a report by his daughter-in-law to journalist Alberto Arego. "He came with two 49-pound suitcases. Only one appeared when it was time to collect them. Despite extensive searching, a claim was filed with the relevant offices, and they were told they would receive a response in 24 hours. Ultimately, the responsibility for the incident was placed on Delta Airlines."

According to the affected passenger, he paid $130 to an individual to retrieve the suitcase: $100 for the person and $30 for the gate worker. The suitcase was stolen.

In February, a worker at José Martí International Airport in Havana was arrested by Cuban police after stolen items from travelers' luggage were found in his possession. The arrest followed "a report of a missing mobile phone that was in a parcel." Following the report, "airport police conducted a search at the home of a terminal driver who was stealing items from packages he delivered to the warehouse."

During the search, authorities found "a variety of stolen items, including printers, toolboxes, sealed packages, and even fuel."