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Canada and the International Rule of Law Canadian Network On Cuba Calls on Ottawa to Reopen Visa Office in CubaThe Canadian Network on Cuba (CNC) is deeply concerned by Ottawa's abrupt decision to shut down the section of its Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) Office in Havana through which visas were processed for Cuban citizens wishing to visit Canada and those seeking work or study permits. This measure follows the 50 per cent reduction of the staff of Canada's embassy in Cuba which took place in January of this year. Cubans now have to make their applications through a visa application centre in a third country (the nearest being Mexico). Those having to submit their biometrics (photo and fingerprints), a requirement instituted in 2018 that will apply to most, will have to travel to a centre outside of Cuba to record this information.
Canada and Cuba have enjoyed uninterrupted diplomatic relations since 1945. This development represents a serious departure from the relations which have existed all those years. Canada, along with Mexico, refused to break diplomatic relations with Cuba in the 1960s when the United States established the all-sided blockade it has maintained since then. At that time the U.S. demanded that all members of the Organization of American States (OAS) sever any connection with Cuba and, even though Canada was not a member of the OAS at that time, it still did not follow suit. One wonders what crime Cuba has committed against Canada to make Canada take what can only amount to hostile actions against Cuba? Why now, at a time the U.S. has reversed the Obama government's attempts to bring an end to the failed policy that Washington has maintained against Cuba for 60 years? In 2014, the world rejoiced to see the restoration of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba and held out great hopes that relations between the two countries would be normalized. Canada helped by providing a venue for the talks which led to the improvement of those relations. Everyone knows that sanctions target the people and deprive them of food, medicines and normalcy in the conduct of elemental commercial, financial and other relations. For 27 years, the vast majority of countries of the world have overwhelmingly rejected the U.S. all-sided economic war against Cuba. In 2018 alone, 189 countries voted with Cuba to end the blockade and only two voted against, of which one was the U.S. itself.
Who will benefit from the closing of the Havana visa service? Not Cubans trying to have normal relations with Canada and Canadians. What wrong has Cuba ever done to Canada? The CNC calls on the Canadian government to reinstate the discontinued services at the IRCC Office in Havana, so that visa processing may proceed in a reasonable manner. If the abrupt shutdown is simply the result of the lack of necessary staff, as the Ministry of Global Affairs asserts, then Ottawa should issue a clear statement that visa and other related operations will resume once staffing issues are resolved. Canadians, thousands upon thousands of whom visit Cuba
for
many reasons including tourism, business, academic, political and
cultural exchanges of all kinds, want Ottawa to pursue a foreign
policy based on mutual respect and equality. The CNC is confident
that Canadians will reject any course of action taken by Ottawa
which undermines the long-standing diplomatic relations based on
norms recognized by the international rule of law and the ties of
friendship and solidarity that exist between the peoples of our
two countries. (May 10, 2019)
This article was published in   Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca |
These decisions have
introduced unreasonable delays and
significant financial obstacles for those Cubans seeking to
travel to Canada and will, amongst other things, cause
significant damage to business, cultural, scientific and sporting
relations. Indeed, they have already had a drastic impact on
academic exchanges between Canada and Cuba with some of the Cuban
academics scheduled to attend the annual conference of the
Canadian Association for Latin American and Caribbean Studies on
May 10-12 not able to procure visas.
And now this! Is Canada so
attracted to the Trump
administration's anti-democratic counter-revolutionary attacks
against Venezuela's right to self-determination as to take its
revenge on Cuba? Or is it poised to admit that the United States
dictates Canadian policy? Shame on Canada either way.