U.S. Revokes Visas of 300,000 Europeans Who Visited Cuba

The United States government has revoked the visas of approximately 300,000 European citizens who had previously visited Cuba. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla strongly denounced this move, characterizing it as part of the extraterritorial application of the U.S. economic, commercial, and financial blockade on Cuba.

Rodriguez Parrilla stated that the U.S. government is imposing restrictions on where European citizens can travel, effectively denying them access to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) to enter the U.S. if they had traveled to Cuba. The director of International Organizations at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ana Silvia Rodriguez Abascal, further elaborated that this measure is intended to damage Cuba's tourism income.

The visa revocations come in the wake of the Argentine state-owned oil company YPF's refusal to continue supplying fuel to Cuban airlines, a decision made in compliance with the U.S. blockade against Cuba. As a result, the Cuban airline Cubana de Aviación has been forced to suspend regular flights between Havana and Argentina. The Cuban government has condemned this as a violation of international trade rules and an example of the extraterritorial nature of the U.S. blockade, which it says will have consequences for the Cuban airline and Argentine citizens.

Why this matters: The U.S. decision to revoke visas of European citizens who visited Cuba has far-reaching implications for international travel and trade. It highlights the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Cuba, as well as the extraterritorial impact of U.S. sanctions on other nations and their citizens.

The Cuban government has strongly criticized the U.S. actions, with Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla stating, "The U.S. government is imposing restrictions on where European citizens can travel, effectively denying them access to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) to enter the U.S. if they had traveled to Cuba." The visa revocations and the suspension of flights between Havana and Argentina underscore the wide-ranging consequences of the U.S. economic blockade on Cuba and its impact on international relations.

Key Takeaways

• U.S. revoked visas of 300,000 Europeans who visited Cuba, citing extraterritorial blockade.
• U.S. restricting European travel to Cuba, denying ESTA access for prior Cuba visits.
• Argentina's YPF halted fuel supply to Cuban airlines, forcing Cubana to suspend flights.
• Cuba condemns U.S. actions as violations of international trade rules and extraterritorial.
• Visa revocations and flight suspensions highlight wide-ranging impact of U.S. blockade on Cuba.