Cubans said they were both heartbroken and enraged by the United States’ decision on Friday to stop processing visas at its embassy in Havana that would further tear at the seams of families already divided by the Florida Straits. The U.S. said it was cutting its diplomatic presence in Cuba by more than a half because of mysterious “attacks” against its embassy personnel and was therefore halting regular visa operations.
While Cuba numbers a population of 11.2 million, there are an estimated 2 million Cuban Americans in the United States.
It remains unclear which visas the U.S. Havana embassy will still be processing and what other recourses Cubans will have.
“We have suspended most visa processing in Havana,” a notice on its website read. “Cuban applicants for non immigrant visas may apply at another U.S. embassy or consulate overseas.”
The Cuban government has denied any involvement in the alleged attacks on diplomats in Havana and warned the Trump administration against politicising them.
Twenty-one U.S. embassy employees in Cuba have been injured and reported symptoms such as hearing loss, dizziness, headache, fatigue, cognitive issues, and difficulty sleeping, the State Department said.
Several Canadian diplomats have complained of similar symptoms to their American counterparts but Canada said on Friday it had no plans to reduce staff at its embassy in Havana.