– particularly in area of consular, migration matters

CUBA’S Vice Foreign Minister, Rogelio Sierra Diaz has said that cooperation between Guyana and Cuba in tackling consular and migration issues will have to be strengthened to facilitate the “overflow” of Cuban travellers visiting here to acquire United States (U.S) visas.

As of April 1, 2018, Immigrant Visa Applications for Cuban nationals are being processed at the U.S. Embassy here in Georgetown, Guyana instead of in Colombia. The process was shifted to Colombia in January, before the most recent decision to process the applications in Georgetown.

The U.S Embassy in Havana made the announcement in March 2018, disclosing, too, that as part of the process, immigrant visa interviews for Cubans will also be done in Guyana.
In making the decision, the U.S Embassy said it took into consideration a number of factors, such as availability of flights, visa requirements, space to accommodate additional applicant files, and availability of staff. “Cubans do not need a visa to travel to Guyana. As before, Cuban applicants for routine non-immigrant visas may apply at any U.S. embassy or consulate outside Cuba,” the Embassy in Cuba said.

But just before wrapping up his two-day state visit here on Wednesday, Cuba’s Vice Foreign Minister told the State media that the decision by the U.S has put both Guyana and Cuba at a disadvantage, hence the move to strengthen cooperation would be key to avoiding unnecessary complications for the large number of Cubans that would arrive in the country to apply for U.S. visas.

“From our perspective, this is a unilateral measure which can generate an indiscriminate flow of Cubans to Guyana, and which has put both Guyana and Cuba as victims of the situation,” the Cuban Minister said.

He explained that the relationship between Cuba and the U.S. is a bit rough at the moment, and that such a “bad” patch comes, regrettably so, after the former U.S. President, Barack Obama would have adopted a series of measures to soften the ties and policies that the United States has historically maintained towards Cuba.

“The arrival of Trump has represented a setback in the bilateral ties,” Minister Diaz said, adding that under the Donald Trump Administration, many of the sanctions that affected the relations between the U.S. and Cuba have been reinstated.

“This blockade is intended to create difficulties in the Cuban economy, and through it to affect economic and social development plans of our island,” the Cuban Vice Foreign Minister contended.

He said that despite the situation, the Cuban Government has always expressed a willingness to maintain a normal relationship with the U.S.; “a civilized relationship characterised by mutual respect between both parties.”

Minister Diaz said that as part of the negative policies and measures adopted by the Trump Administration, the U.S. Government decided to withdraw 17 Cuban officials from the Cuban Embassy in Washington. A similar number of U.S officials were removed from the U.S. Embassy in Havana.

According to him, “the arbitrarily imposed measure” has created new difficulties for Cuban citizens, such as the decision now to process U.S. Immigrant Visa Applications for Cuban nationals in Georgetown.

Diplomatic relations between Guyana and Cuba were established on December 8, 1972. Diaz has recognised Guyana as one of the Caribbean countries with which Cuba enjoys the highest level of cooperation.

“It is also a longstanding cooperation, because the first batch of doctors arrived 43 years ago. And so we can also say it is one of the oldest cooperation Cuba has with any other nation,” he noted.

During his official visit, Minister Diaz met with President David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and officials from the Public Health Ministry, where Cuba’s disposition to providing support, as far as possible, was restated.
As part of his Caribbean tour, the Vice-Minister also visited Trinidad, Barbados, Suriname and Jamaica.