Visas denied to Cuban academics

by Vanessa Arrington
HAVANA
The U.S. authorities have denied visas to a group of Cuban academics who were hoping to attend a meeting of Latin American experts in Puerto Rico, in yet another incident of U.S. action against the island’s representatives.

A group of 55 philosophers, economists and historians were informed last week that they could not attend the Association of Latin American Studies (AEL) Congress, to take place in San Juan.

A further four visa applications are pending according to experts involved in organizing the congress.

Academic ties between Cuba and the United States have declined during the last two years since the Bush administration intensified the economic blockade and travel restrictions in place for years against the island.

The Congress of the AEL, an organization with 5,000-plus members, takes place every 18 months and is the central forum for academic debate on Latin America and the Caribbean.