Cubans Protest outside Ecuador’s Embassy in Havana

Cubans Protest outside Ecuador's Embassy in Havana / 14ymedio
Posted on November 27, 2015

[UPDATED] 14ymedio, Havana, 27 November 2015 — Hundreds of Cubans, on
Friday, demonstrated their dissatisfaction with Quito's decision to
require visas from he island's nationals as of Tuesday, December 1.

The embassy, ​​located in the Miramar neighborhood, is currently
cordoned off by a strong police operation preventing anyone from
approaching. The agents assert that "last night several people tried to
sneak into the embassy," although the majority of those congregating on
the corners were talking about the unreliability of the official version.

Many people are also gathered in front of the offices of the airlines
that fly to Ecuador, to demand or change tickets. At the office of Copa
Airlines in Miramar, people continued to gather despite an employee
advising them, an hour ago, that there are no more tickets for Ecuador
until April Some have stayed, despite the warning, hoping to be refunded
the price of their ticket.

The Ecuadorian consul in Cuba, Soraya Encalada, took to the streets with
other diplomats to explain that her government's position is not to
"obstruct" travel, but to "prevent human trafficking," according to the
press agency EFE. The diplomat said that the decision to require visas
from Cubans was a "temporary situation," which required everyone
interested in traveling to Ecuador to enter their data into the
embassy's website in a "simplified" procedure to speed up the paperwork.

For years, Cubans who want to reach the United States have flown to
Ecuador because it did not require a visa. The migrants would then
continue their journey through seven countries (Colombia, Panama, Costa
Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico), facing many
difficulties and dangers on the way.

Source: Cubans Protest outside Ecuador's Embassy in Havana / 14ymedio |
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