Thread: Cuba says U.S. issuing visas too slowly

Cuba says U.S. issuing visas too slowly
Staff and agencies
17 July, 2007

By WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 1 minute ago

HAVANA - Cuba chided the United States on Tuesday for being too slow to issue visas to Cubans wanting off the island.

Under a 1994 agreement, Washington uses a lottery system to grant up to 20,000 Cubans permission to emigrate to America each fiscal year ending Sept. 30. But Cuba‘s government said Tuesday that through June 30, only 10,724 Cubans had been granted visas — just 53.6 percent of the annual minimum.

"Why would (the United States) want to make the migratory situation worse between both countries?" the statement asked, accusing Bush of wishing Fidel Castro would die and being desperate to "force the ‘changes‘ he wants to impose on Cuba, even when they give rise to a situation of instability that will surely also affect the United States."

The U.S. and Cuba do not have formal diplomatic relations but maintain interests sections — instead of embassies — in each other‘s territories. A spokesman at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Some Cubans who get U.S. visas are denied exit permits by Havana, which arbitrarily deems them "defectors," the State Department says. Cuba also regularly refuses to allow doctors and other medical professionals to leave even if they have visas.

A U.S. policy that grew out of the 1994 immigration agreement is the so-called "wet foot/dry foot," where by Cubans who are interdicted at sea are generally returned to their homeland, while those who reach U.S. shores are usually allowed to stay.

The Foreign Ministry went on to "insist" that the United States issue at least 20,000 visas before the deadline, scrap "wet-foot/dry foot" and "cease the manipulation of this topic for political ends." It also demanded that Washington, "end the incessant subversive propaganda and psychological war against Cuba."

http://localnewsleader.com/jackson/stor ... &id=133911

The Foreign Ministry went on to "insist" that the United States issue at least 20,000 visas before the deadline, scrap "wet-foot/dry foot" and "cease the manipulation of this topic for political ends." It also demanded that Washington, "end the incessant subversive propaganda and psychological war against Cuba."

Here we go again. INSIST and DEMAND.

More foreign countries and people insisting and demanding from the United States and her people. WHEN will our government take notice and put an end to this? WE don't owe these folks a d***ed thing.

Why would Cuba demand we let more of their citizens into the US?

Under a 1994 agreement, Washington uses a lottery system to grant up to 20,000 Cubans permission to emigrate to America each fiscal year ending Sept. 30. But Cuba‘s government said Tuesday that through June 30, only 10,724 Cubans had been granted visas — just 53.6 percent of the annual minimum.

Does every country in the world think the United States is their remedy to get rid of undesirables, excess population, etc.?

That's sorta the message we've sent them, isn't it?