The Havana embassy’s chargé d’ affaires, Timothy
Zúñiga-Brown, announced that the consulate would soon begin processing some
immigrant visas for which documentation already is complete, though he did not
give a date.
Most visas will continue to be processed in Guyana on the
South American mainland — a costly and difficult journey away for most Cubans.
Zúñiga-Brown said the U.S. is interested in “safe and legal”
immigration, particularly for family reunification cases which had been
complicated by the withdrawal of diplomats.
Cuba last year saw a surge in unauthorized migration
attempts fueled in part by an economic crisis that was exacerbated by the
pandemic, increased U.S. sanctions and cutbacks in aid from Venezuela.
Most U.S. diplomats were withdrawn from Cuba in 2017 after
the administration of then-President Donald Trump accused Cuba of targeting
some at the post with weapons that that caused lingering and sometimes serious
brain injuries — allegations Cuba has always denied. Canadian diplomats also reported
such incidents.
While the maladies came to be called “Havana Syndrome,” they
were also reported by hundreds of American officials at missions around the
world and even in Washington.
CIA findings released in January determined it was unlikely
that Russia or another foreign adversary had used microwaves or other forms of
directed energy to attack the Americans.
That conclusion was not universally accepted. A separate
panel of intelligence experts said last month that several potential causes
remain plausible, including the use of devices that emit beams of directed
energy. The panel said some of the injuries are not compatible with
psychological causes.
The uncertainty about the cause of the illnesses has added
to friction between officials and those suffering from symptoms.
President Joe Biden had campaigned on easing the Trump
administration’s tough series of new sanctions on Cuba, but so far has taken
only limited steps toward the sort of relaxation that occurred under Barack
Obama, who visited Cuba and made dealings with it far easier.