Cuban scholars denied US visas seen as among most open to engagement, change

[Judi Lynn]

Cuban scholars denied US visas seen as among most open to engagement, change
By Associated Press, Updated: Friday, May 18, 12:07 PM

HAVANA — The U.S. State Department has given Raul Castro’s daughter a visa to attend an academic conference in San Francisco, but it also has rejected about a dozen other Cuban scholars’ applications to enter the country.

Observers and the academics themselves say the list includes people who are among the most interested in engaging with the United States, and some who have pushed for greater political and economic change on the island.

Some have traveled to the U.S. before and even spent time teaching at prestigious universities like Harvard and Columbia.

Cuba-watchers call the denials arbitrary, counterproductive to U.S. interests and contrary to the Obama administration’s policy of increasing people-to-people exchanges with the island.

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/cuban-scholars-denied-us-visas-seen-as-among-most-open-to-engagement-change/2012/05/18/gIQAXaPoYU_story.html

[flamingdem]

1. This is curious

I think that it's even more curious that Cuba watchers believe Raul's daughter might be in line for leadership, but her Visa was allowed, and this is seen as a positive. On a technical level it might have to do with who is really a professor, vs. someone who plays a role in government, Lasa is for the former, and other than that I can see why they don't want all of those Cubans together at one time in the USA, Fox, etc. would have a field day, but the most likely when it comes to Cuba, some kind of incompetence in the decision making.