Mexico City, May 6 (Prensa Latina) The “Jose Marti” Association of Cubans Residing in Mexico today joined the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) in denouncing the U.S. obstruction of Prensa Latina.
The association condemns the Washington government’s two-year delay in granting visas to Prensa Latina’s current correspondents at the UN, Ibis Frade and Ernesto Redonet, accredited to this multilateral organization, and to those assigned in the U.S. capital.
UNCA president Valeria Robecco has pointed out that this delay is inexplicable and surprising, and that there has been no response to the visa procedures. For two years she has contacted the U.S. mission to the United Nations to find out the status of the process.
Initially they were told that they were in the administrative process and later they stopped responding, the statement said.
The agency has had offices at the UN headquarters for years, and despite the fact that its correspondents meet all the requirements for the Category I visa for foreign media representatives and other requirements, the United States has denied the visa in breach of the host country agreement.
Cuba and other UN member states have repeatedly denounced the failure of the United States to comply with its obligations as the host country of this organization.
Also the use of its status as host country to selectively grant or not grant visas to diplomats and foreign correspondents based on its political agenda or its aggression campaigns against countries it considers enemies.
Our Association, calls on international public opinion to demand that the United States comply with the host country agreements, she concludes.
We demand that it extend the visa to Prensa Latina correspondents at the UN and in Washington who are in a similar situation and stop using this as one more part of its policies of aggression against Cuba.
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