The current limitations of the consular services at the United States Embassy in Havana are said to be due to a voluntary departure order issued by the U.S. State Department for its employees, prompted by the impact of Hurricane Rafael on the capital.
"The decision, announced in a climate alert issued on November 5, was made due to the risk of damage to infrastructure from the hurricane," explained a spokesperson for the State Department in an email to Martí Noticias.
The same source indicated that the U.S. State Department "granted authorization for the voluntary departure of employees directly hired by the United States Embassy in Havana and their eligible family members."
"The operational status of the Embassy remains limited due to recovery efforts following the hurricane, so consular services are currently restricted to emergency assistance for U.S. citizens. All previously scheduled interviews will be rescheduled as soon as the Embassy returns to full operational status," the spokesperson clarified.
This Monday, the U.S. Embassy in Cuba announced that "all routine services for immigrant and non-immigrant visas (including interviews and document reviews)" scheduled for this November were suspended and would be rescheduled.
The note added that they would be in direct contact with the applicants soon to reschedule their appointments.
The note specifically addressed applicants whose visa status in the CEAC (Consular Electronic Application Center) indicates "ISSUED." They will be able to visit the Embassy to collect their visa this Wednesday, November 13, or Thursday, November 14, at 10:00 AM.
The announcement of the temporary suspension of services was made on November 11, a date on which the Embassy was also closed in observance of Veterans Day, a holiday in the United States.
The rescheduling of procedures has not been well received by many Cubans, who have expressed concern and frustration over the delays in consular services.
Last week, the Embassy announced that it would only provide emergency services to U.S. citizens from November 12 to 15, "due to the current instability of the national electrical grid and recovery efforts following Hurricane Rafael," and that there would be no routine services, visas, or other appointments, which will be automatically rescheduled.
However, the most recent announcement extends the stabilization of consular services once again.
Filed under: