Havana, September 30 (RHC)-- “It is sad news for Cubans and Americans alike for all the damage this could cause. I think we, on both sides of the Florida Straight, must unite to fight this for a better future for both our countries and peoples,” said Collin Laverti, President of the Cuba Educational Travel --a U.S. agency that organizes educational exchange programs and people-to-people travel for U.S. citizens and residents to Cuba.

Together with the decision to reduce the U.S. embassy staff in Cuba to emergency personnel, Washington also issued a travel warning, urging U.S. citizens not to travel to the Caribbean state, arguing they could be exposed to the same kind of 'unspecified attacks' alleged by U.S. diplomats.

However, in issuing the travel warning, the State Department failed to mention the fact that up to this moment, and U.S. authorities have fully confirmed this, NOT one single U.S. citizen out of the three million who have already visited Cuba as tourists have reported harm of any kind.

In statements to Radio Havana Cuba, the president of Cuba Educational Travel said over the many years his organization has been working with Cuba, bringing in thousands of Americans, there has been no incident whatsoever in which a U.S. citizen has been hurt in any way.

He said: “Cuba is a safe country and the U.S. government knows this. I think that this is what they should tell the American people.

“This latest decision will affect the wellbeing of the American and Cuban peoples alike. It will also affect people like me, who are working hard promoting people-to-people contact. It will affect American and Cuban business. Less travel will definitely affect the Cuban tourism sector, both the Cuban and U.S. economies and families on both sides of the Florida Straight.”