The Cuban academic and activist Omara Ruiz Urquiola denounced on Monday in an interview with CiberCuba that the United States has denied her the student visa she needs to begin the Mellon Foundation scholarship at Florida International University (FIU), awarded in May of last year, due to her complicated immigration status. She cannot return to Cuba because the regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel prevents her from doing so, and she does not wish to apply for the Cuban Adjustment Act, asserting that she is not an exile but rather remains in the United States due to violations of her civil rights.
Omara Ruiz Urquiola holds Jorge Duany, a retired professor and former director of the Cuban Research Institute at FIU, responsible for the bureaucratic deadlock that has prevented her from starting her scholarship. He contacted CiberCuba to defend his management and agreed to answer a questionnaire sent by this platform.
You deny having any responsibility in the visa denial of Omara Ruiz Urquiola. What has happened? Is there someone accountable?
In her interview published on CiberCuba on November 4, Mrs. Ruiz Urquiola unfoundedly accuses me of being the "main responsible" for the U.S. Department of State denying her application for a J-1 visa. This non-immigrant visa, designated for educational and cultural exchange programs, is an essential requirement to receive a scholarship from the Mellon Foundation at Florida International University (FIU).
I would like to clarify that at the Cuban Research Institute of FIU, we did everything within our power to ensure that Ms. Ruiz Urquiola could receive her visa and enjoy the well-deserved scholarship she earned in May 2023. However, the university is not responsible for handling the legal procedures of the scholarship recipients, as Ms. Ruiz Urquiola seems to believe; it is only responsible for issuing an official invitation letter (via Form DS-2019), which was amended and sent to her three times to help her meet the requirements set forth by the Department of State.
As Mrs. Ruiz Urquiola herself points out, her previous visa (B2) expired in January 2023, and therefore she currently has no recognized legal status in the United States. I understand that this is the reason her J-1 visa was denied, and not due to any procedural error or "lack of transparency" on the part of FIU or myself. Our informal inquiries with the State Department and immigration attorneys confirmed that Mrs. Ruiz Urquiola must change her immigration status before receiving the J-1 visa, and that is something only she can do.
The Cuban regime does not allow Omara Ruiz Urquiola to return to the Island, and she does not want to resort to the Cuban Adjustment Act, making her immigration situation very complex. What solution does the Institute of Cuban Studies propose for this case? Is this the first time they have encountered this problem?
We understand the complexity and specificity of the case, but it is beyond our capacity to resolve this issue, which is solely the responsibility of Mrs. Ruiz Urquiola to address with the appropriate government agency regarding immigration procedures in the United States, specifically the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). According to binding federal regulations, any person who is to receive payments from a U.S. university must have a legal immigration status, whether it is a J-1 visa or permanent residency. Without such status, there is nothing the university can do to employ a foreign visitor.
The Institute of Cuban Research does not take a stance on the options available to Ms. Ruiz Urquiola for obtaining recognized legal status in the United States.
Omara Ruiz Urquiola also expressed her concerns about the lack of transparency in the awarding of scholarships from the Cuban Research Institute at FIU. Who selects the committee responsible for candidate selection? Is the names of the members of the 'jury' in charge of this selection made public? Who is responsible for ensuring transparency?
A committee of experts on Cuban issues from FIU carefully evaluated scholarship applications based on the applicants' professional backgrounds, their proposed academic, artistic, or cultural work, and the risk of persecution, harassment, imprisonment, or exile due to their beliefs or participation in peaceful demonstrations in Cuba. In U.S. universities, the names of members of a scholarship evaluation committee are typically kept anonymous to ensure the confidentiality and impartiality of the assessments.
For Cubans, it is difficult to understand that the U.S. denies a visa to a fighter for the freedom of Cuba and places the entire responsibility on her, especially considering that we are talking about someone who has also battled cancer. Have any efforts been made by the university to assist her with the student visa?
FIU sponsors visits for foreign scholars and students with extraordinary merit, such as those selected for the Scholarships for Threatened Cuban Studies. At the Institute for Cuban Research, we have supported all scholars from the very beginning in their efforts to complete the procedures required by the United States government and the university. However, the university does not manage the visas for the hundreds of foreign students and professors who visit FIU each year. The immigration process is the responsibility of the individual who received the scholarship and may require independent legal advice, as in the special case of Mrs. Ruiz Urquiola.
Can you mention some recipients of the Mellon fellowship during your time as director of the Institute?
During the 2023-24 academic year, visual artist Lía Villares benefited from the Mellon Scholarship for Threatened Cuban Scholars. Two other individuals were selected for that year but had to postpone their visit to FIU due to unforeseen delays in their visa processes: poet Katherine Bisquet and anthropologist Marialina García Ramos. Both have obtained their respective visas for the first semester of 2024-25 and are currently at the university working on their projects.
For the academic year 2024–25, four individuals were selected for the scholarship: art historian Carolina Barrero; anthropologist and visual artist Celia Irina González; visual artist Camila Lobón; and journalist Yoe Suárez. Carolina Barrero and Camila Lobón are currently in residence at FIU this semester, while Celia Irina González and Yoe Suárez are expected to take advantage of their scholarship next semester.
Do you believe that Omara Ruiz Urquiola is being unfair to you?
It seems to me that Omara Ruiz Urquiola has misunderstood the established procedures for applying for the J-1 visa from the United States government. I do not understand why Mrs. Ruiz Urquiola has personally attacked me when this is strictly a legal issue that can only be resolved with the office of Citizenship and Immigration Services.
What do you think?
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