New Blow to US-Cuba Relations

December 23, 2017 Circles Robinson 6 Comments

December 23, 2017

US Government Further Reduces Embassy Services in Havana

HAVANA TIMES – The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Friday the temporary suspension of its operations in Havana, a sign of the further deteriorating US-Cuba relations.

On their website the USCIS justifies their decision due to the staff reductions at the US Embassy in Havana, which took place in September after the Trump administration’s claim that around two dozen of its diplomats had fallen seriously ill due to alleged “sonic attacks” in Havana.

The US hasn’t directly accused Cuba for the attacks but holds the Castro government responsible for not preventing them in its territory.

The USCIS gave no date for a possible resumption of services and noted that “its field office in Mexico City will assume Havana’s jurisdiction.”

Moses Patterson

The Castros rejected the gestures of rapprochement from Obama. They didn’t know how good they had it. Cooling relations between the US and Cuba have no effect on Americans. But without the expected jump in US tourists coming to Cuba, the Cuban economy will continue to suffer.
- garfield58
  
  Actually, don’t fool yourself, Canada ,Britain, and Germany make up 75% of the total tourists going to Cuba, they really don’t depend on the loud obnoxious American
  - larrybudwiser
    
    Actually, Cuba (and it’s tourist sector) is so mis-managed that tourist traffic will continue to fail. The level of retention (repeat visits) is extremely low, with many tourist doing the one and done. Compared to the Bahamas or even Mexico, the infrastructure is horrible, crime rates are rising with the Cuban economic failures and let’s face it, if the best food is in private facilities with questionable sanitation, how do you compete with the world class facilities that surround you? Do you believe that being hussled for money by everyone you meet including government funding it’s political elite’s comfortable life style is a draw? Yes, the beaches are beautiful, yes, it’s a historical and cultural treasure but so is every island in the Caribbean Basin-without the prison camp culture. The Canadians, Brits and Germans can have it, it seems most of them are there for the cheap sex trade anyway.
    - editorht
      
      Larry I think your generalization at the end of your comment is a bold face lie. It takes away from what many will consider truths above.
- dani
  
  I don’t know where you get the idea that the gestures of rapproachement from Obama were rejected. The change in policy was welcomed by the Cuban government and Obama was recieved with open arms in Havana. And remember agreements were signed by both sides. It’s true that there was some mutterings that Obama hadn’t gone further in regards to Guantanamo and Fidel Castro said that he still didn’t trust the US, but it was clearly stated that he was expressing his own personal view which didn’t reflect the government’s. However none of this amounts to rejection and what difference would it have made anyway. Obama wasn’t going to move any further and Trump was always going to roll back some of Obama’s changes.
Daniel Paneque

Anyways the Cuban and American people are the ones who sufer. My grandmother is dying in Cuba and I can’t visit because I can’t renew my Cuban passport and my American passport don’t work to travel to cuba ?? I hope this make everybody happy ??