Cubans demand re-establishment of US embassy services in Havana

Havana, Oct. 5 (EFE) .- Thousands of Cubans on social media on Tuesday called for the reopening of embassy services at the US embassy in Havana, which was shut down in 2017 by then-President Donald Trump.

The operation began in the morning, when more than a dozen Cubans went in person to the U.S. military in Havana, whose practices had been in recession for four years and were unable to meet their relatives in the United States.

After displaying the posters in front of the embassy, ​​they posted photos on their Twitter accounts using the hashtag #ConsularServicesinCuba, which has become a trend with more than 13,000 publications in the country.

For the same purpose, they created a Facebook group called “Cubans United for Family Unity”.

Washington has reduced its embassy in Havana and diverted diplomatic services to third countries due to mysterious health incidents, affecting some of its diplomats and the cause is still unknown.

The Cuban government has denied any involvement in the incident and accused the neighboring country – especially the Trump administration – of politicizing the incident.

As a result, existing bilateral agreements for the issuance of visas and family reunification programs for Cuban citizens are practically paralyzed.

Now the rituals that are done in Mexico or Guyana are that the Cubans have to leave Cuba.

Because of this situation, Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar says 22,000 family reunification cases are pending and 100,000 visas are pending.

The number of boats attempting to reach the Florida coast from Cuba has crossed the worst economic crisis in three decades, with the situation exacerbated by severe problems with food and basic commodity shortages.

Former President Barack Obama withdrew immigration benefits to Cubans in 2017 by repealing the “dry / wet feet” policy that had been in place since 1994.

However, the Cuban Adjustment Act is in force, which allows every Cuban citizen who has entered the country legally to apply and obtain a residence permit after one year and one day. EFE