US ship cancels Cuba visit

Some believe President Castro may have blocked the visit

The first trip by a United States cargo ship to Cuba in more than 40 years has been cancelled.

The MV Orso was due to arrive in Havana on Saturday, but a spokesman for owners Crowley Liner Service said senior managers had ordered the ship to bypass Cuba and proceed to Mexico.

He said no further details would be available until Monday. The company had planned weekly trips to Havana.

Correspondents say President Fidel Castro may have refused entry to the ship, which is believed to have been carrying humanitarian as well as commercial goods.

A planned timetable is carried on Crowley's website

The US Congress passed a bill last year allowing food and medical exports to Cuba under special licence, but Havana has insisted it will not allow American goods into the country.

There have also been suggestions that Havana may be seeking to avoid an impression that US ships are now in a position to serve Cuba normally.

Unaware of the change of plan, foreign media had camped out from around 0300 local time (0700 GMT) at Havana harbour awaiting the ship's arrival.

Washington imposed economic sanctions on Cuba soon after Castro's 1959 Communist revolution, but there is growing pressure from abroad and from an American farm and business lobby to lift them.