Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

Cuban Post

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Traveling in Cuba we sent some postcards to our relatives and friends; two months passed and nobody received any. Is that normal? Will the postacards be delivered at all? One of the casa owners asked me to send him our national flag to hang it on his balcony. Mission impossible?

Traveling in Cuba we sent some postcards to our relatives and friends; two months passed and nobody received any. Is that normal?

yes, is normal.

Will the postacards be delivered at all?

maybe, maybe not. Cuba post is quite unreliable

One of the casa owners asked me to send him our national flag to hang it on his balcony. Mission impossible?

Not impossible but certainly not guaranteed.

Do note that the Cuban electricity company and the water company do not entrust the Cuban post office to deliver the monthly bills or return payments. Both utilities deliver their monthly bills by hand and personally collect payments.

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In case you are not aware, the US Government has been waging a cold war against Cuba since 1960.
The Cuban communists consider the US Govt. to be their #1 enemy. Mail service to Cuba has been erratic since 1998, when we first tried to use it. Everything is inspected thoroughly before delivered to the intended addressee. Sending an American flag to someone in Cuba is like sending a Nazi flag to someone in Israel.

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The Cuban communists consider the US Govt. to be their #1 enemy. Mail service to Cuba has been erratic since 1998, when we first tried to use it. ...............

The US and Cuba resumed direct mail service in March 2016. The problem seems to be with Correos de Cuba as it seems to relate to domestic mail service as well.

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Well, is everybody on this forum American? I am not talking about American flag and I doubt our country is #2 enemy of Cuba.

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... and I hope I will do no harm to casa owner, sending him our flag...

5

The mail carrier for my peeps in Cardenas is always drunk on the job,they're convinced it affects his ability to be a reliable postal carrier/deliverer,he is a nice fellow though,according to them.

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Well, is everybody on this forum American? I am not talking about American flag and I doubt our country is #2 enemy of Cuba.

i apologize for not checking your profile to learn your home country. As the problems seem to be with Correos de Cuba and nothing to do with country where the item was mailed, my answers are unchanged.

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The US and Cuba resumed direct mail service in March 2016. The problem seems to be with Correos de Cuba...

A bit off track, but.....
Yes, there is direct mail service from the US to Cuba.
However, it is still made onerous by the pricing for the one class of service available. A small, lightweight package (maybe the weight of a small photo calendar selling for U$7) starts at about U$40.

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When I lived in Havana, I received a few Christmas cards from England which arrived about Easter time. I am sure that a lot more post never arrived at all.

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In case you are not aware, the US Government has been waging a cold war against Cuba since 1960.
The Cuban communists consider the US Govt. to be their #1 enemy. Mail service to Cuba has been erratic since 1998, when we first tried to use it. Everything is inspected thoroughly before delivered to the intended addressee. Sending an American flag to someone in Cuba is like sending a Nazi flag to someone in Israel.

What about sending a CONFEDERATE flag to someone in Cuba? ;-) Would Cuban government officials even know what it is?

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Aren't you aware the revolution eliminated prejudice and slavery.

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Sending an American flag to someone in Cuba is like sending a Nazi flag to someone in Israel.

VERY BAD (incorrect and ignorant) ANALOGY

And offensive to anyone in any country of the world who lost family in the Holocaust.
US soldiers, supported by the silence of US citizens, did not physically drag Cubans out of their homes, ship them to forced labor camps, starve and work them to death, and kill 6 million of them.
In fact, during the Spanish-American war, the United States assisted Cuba in its war for freedom from Spain. The US ambassador also acted to support the provisional government (that Batista toppled) when Machado was forced to leave.

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Sending an American flag to someone in Cuba is like sending a Nazi flag to someone in Israel.

Smilecu, that's a new low, even for you.

Cheers,
Terry

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Hey guys, it was not my intention to start a political debate, I just wanted to know whether the guy in Havana would get my flag...

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So why didn't you step up in your post #5 ???????????????

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Are Cubans now displaying foreign flags in front of their homes?

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Yeah, along with a world map to pinpoint where (in this case) Slovenia actually is.

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http://st2.depositphotos.com/1996555/5557/i/950/depositphotos_55572925-stock-photo-slovenia-cuba-sign-flags-concept.jpg

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Hey guys, it was not my intention to start a political debate, I just wanted to know whether the guy in Havana would get my flag...

No problem. You had no part in beginning or continuing any of the off topic discussion.

I hope you got the answer to your original question, even if the answer can be no better than "maybe".

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Hey guys, it was not my intention to start a political debate, I just wanted to know whether the guy in Havana would get my flag...

Your question was answered in the very first reply. Possible, but absolutely not guaranteed by any stretch.

And there's zero political issues whatsoever, no matter what flag it is.

If you decide to risk the investment, good luck. My wager is 4/10 it will arrive safely.

Cheers,
Terry

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Thanks everybody for your answers (and other stuff too), I'll give it a try.

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