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WORLD NEWSSaturday 28 November 2015
Hundreds gather in Cuba in frustration at Ecuador visa rule
Cubans gather outside Ecuador’s embassy, expressing frustration at a new visa rule that now M. WEISSENSTEIN War-era privileges for Cu-
Associated Press ban migrants.
requires they have a visa to visit the South American country, in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Nov. 27, HAVANA (AP) — Hundreds Two leftist Latin American
of angry Cubans confront- countries allied with Cuba
2015. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) ed police and Ecuadoran have begun to crack down
embassy officials in an un- on the northbound flood.
usual display of public dis- Nicaragua closed its south-
content on Friday after the ern border to Cuban mi-
surprise announcement grants this month, leaving
of a new visa requirement more than 2,000 stranded
aimed at choking off this inside northern Costa Rica.
year’s historic overland Ecuador, another Cuban
emigration of Cubans ally, said Thursday that it
across more than 3,000 was committed to what it
miles (5,000 kilometers) of called efforts by the Latin
South and Central Amer- American community to
ica to the U.S. border with prevent migration without
Mexico. authorization.
Chanting “Visa! Visa!” Cubans who learned that
as dozens of uniformed they would suddenly need
and plainclothes security visas for flights as early as
agents looked on, Cubans Tuesday massed in front
with tickets booked for of the Ecuadoran embas-
Ecuador in coming days sy early Friday as security
complained that they agents closed off the sur-
would lose years of savings rounding streets with yel-
because of the change low police tape.
announced by the Ecua- Street gatherings that
doran government Thurs- aren’t explicitly pro-gov-
day evening, which left ernment are extremely rare
them less than two business in Cuba and the crowd in
days to get their hands on front of the Ecuadoran em-
a visa. Deputy Foreign Min- bassy on Friday expressed
ister Xavier Lasso said Ec- a degree of anger at Presi-
uador would require visas dent Raul Castro’s govern-
of Cubans starting Dec. ment that is rarely seen in
1 in order to curb migra- public. “This is Raul Cas-
tion that he said “puts at tro’s fault, nobody else’s,”
risk men, women and chil- said one member of the
dren.” Ecuador had been crowd, as security agents
one of the few countries and members of the inter-
in the hemisphere that national media recorded
doesn’t require visas for the events. “I’m desper-
Cuban visitors, making it ate,” said Carmen Lopez,
the chief starting point for a 62-year-old homemaker
tens of thousands of Cu- who spent $800 on a ticket
bans who have flown there for a Wednesday flight to
this year and then made visit her two sons in Ecuador.
an overland trek across “I’ve made a lot of sacrific-
seven borders to reach the es to save my money to be
U.S., where they receive able to go see them.” Ec-
automatic legal residency. uadoran embassy officials
The flow has surged in 2015 outraged the crowd when
due largely to fears that they announced through a
the detente between the loudspeaker than Cubans
U.S. and Cuba announced traveling next week would
last Dec. 17 would lead to have to apply online for
the end of special Cold tourists visas.q
