More than 300,000 European citizens have had their access to the United States Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) restricted after taking a trip to Cuba.
This inconvenience arises as a consequence of the island's inclusion in the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST), a measure reinstated by former President Donald Trump on January 12, 2021.
US CongresswomanPramila Jayapal, from Washington state, has recently been one of the critical voices regarding this policy, as indicatedCubaYes.
Jayapal assures that this restriction directly affects citizens of the European Union, who previously did not need a visa to enter the United States, only an authorization via the ESTA portal.
Cuba was included on the list of Sponsors of Terrorism days before Trump ended his term, a decision that has had widespread repercussions for international travelers who have visited the island since then.
Last week, the deputy director general of the United States General Directorate of MINREX,Johana Tablada de la Torre, requested Washington to resume the issuance of nonimmigrant visas in Havana and to reestablish theESTA authorization for dual Cuban nationals and visitors to the island.
The Cuban official urged the United States to respect the right of third-country citizens to visit Cuba without restrictions. Furthermore, he condemned the island's inclusion in the aforementioned list, calling it unfair and criticizing its negative effects on international mobility.
Currently, US law prohibits third-country nationals who have visited Cuba since or after January 12, 2021 from using the ESTA permit to enter the US. That policy continues to be a point of tension in bilateral relations. the island and its neighbor.
What do you think?
SEE COMMENTS (1)Filed in: