The U.S. to resume issuance of visas in Cuba on a limited basis

Havana, March 4 (RHC)-- The U.S. embassy in Cuba will begin to issue visas in a limited and gradual manner after remaining closed for more than four years.

"We are very pleased to announce that the U.S. embassy in Havana will begin the limited resumption of some immigrant visa services, as part of a gradual expansion" of its functions, Timothy Zúñiga-Brown, the embassy's chargé d'affaires, said Thursday, without giving a precise date.

The embassy reduced its staff to a minimum in September 2017, when the administration of Republican Donald Trump argued mysterious health incidents, described as "sonic attacks," that affected its diplomats in 2016 and 2017 and were later reported in other embassies around the world.

The consulate closure was a significant blow to Cubans forced to travel to a third country, such as Colombia and Guyana, to apply for the document.

Zúñiga-Brown explained that, in principle, the consulate would only schedule appointments for immigrant visas for those who have submitted their complete documentation. "the main processing location for applicants" for visas will be Georgetown, Guyana, in the transition period.

The United States has failed to comply with the 20,000 visas committed in the immigration agreements in these four years.

In a Tweet, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said that it would be a step in the right direction when the resumption takes place.

The CIA and other agencies and scientists have refuted the theory of sonic attacks. At the same time, the Trump administration used them among the pretexts to impose 243 punitive measures against Cuba, which remain.