US to resume limited immigrant visa processing in Cuba: State Dept.

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As part of the diplomatic mission expansion in Cuba, the US Embassy in Havana plans to restore some of its immigrant visa services, according to US Department of State Deputy Spokesperson Jalina Porter.

“The embassy in Havana look forward to initiating a limited resumption of some Immigrant Visa Services as a part of the broader expansion of the embassy to facilitate diplomatic and civil society engagement and also to expand the provision of consular services,” Porter said on Thursday.

The US State Department is exploring options to augment staffing the US embassy in Havana, aiming to facilitate consular services and painting an appropriate security posture, said Porter, adding that "Georgetown, Guyana, will remain the primary location for Cuban immigrant visa applications." 

Visa restrictions

Earlier, on December 1, 2021, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the US has imposed visa restrictions on 9 Cuban officials, claiming they were implicated in "attempts to silence the voices of the Cuban people through repression and unjust detentions."

The nine high-ranking officials include members of the Ministry of Interior and Revolutionary Armed Forces.

The Secretary of State also alleged that the US is utilizing its diplomatic and economic tools to "push for the release of political prisoners."

However, on November 10, the Cuban Foreign Minister accused Twitter and Facebook of manipulating their algorithms to portray protests in the country as a mass uprising.

In addition, Cuba's Communist Party revealed new evidence on October 1 regarding ties between organizers of an unconstitutional demonstration by Cuban opposition groups and terrorist groups operating from the US. 

In 2015, former US President Barack Obama started efforts to improve bilateral relations with Cuba, and full diplomatic contacts were restored. Following the appearance of the mysterious "Havana Syndrome" among US diplomats, and the US accusing Cuba of being one of the countries behind this mysterious disease, the Trump administration reversed the policy in 2017 and evacuated the majority of its diplomatic personnel.

However, the CIA had previously concluded earlier that the Syndrome was not caused by a global campaign nor a foreign power, saying it had found plausible explanations in hundreds of cases.