State Department Denies Cuban Diplomats' Visa Request To Attend Marxist Panel In New York

WASHINGTON -- The State Department says it has rejected applications from two senior Cuban diplomats to travel to New York to take part in a panel discussion sponsored by a Marxist group, but not for political reasons.

Rather, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland says they were denied because American diplomats in Havana are routinely refused permission to travel outside the Cuban capital.

The two diplomats from Cuba's interest section in Washington had asked to go to New York from March 16-18 to appear on a panel about Cuba sponsored by the magazine Marxism-Leninism Today. The magazine had accused the government of trying to deny American citizens the freedom to hear Cuba's point of view.

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Comments

[timesrtough]

04:46 PM on 03/26/2012

I wonder if BHO will apologize to Cuba over this refusal?

[IfIonlyknew]

05:03 PM on 03/25/2012

We are just keeping those Cuban cigars out of the reach of the little guys.

[Flying Sparkz1]

11:50 AM on 03/25/2012

"American diplomats in Havana are routinely refused permission to travel outside the Cuban capital."

American diplomats are openly involved in a program of destabilization and interference against the internationally recognized government of Cuba. The relentless aggression of the most powerful nation on earth against a tiny island nation is a shameful disgrace. Shame on you President Obama and especially Hillary Clinton.

[looneydoone]

01:22 AM on 03/26/2012

You're absolutely correct...shameful foreign policy

[robertaruth]

11:36 AM on 03/25/2012

The video about Soviet cars is misleading and leaves out much about the Cuban love of vintage American cars. I have photographs of these cars, taken when I was there that are absolutely gorgeous.

Lift the embargo. It's time.

[KIVPossum]

04:32 AM on 03/26/2012

No so much a love as a necessity. Lot of those old cars have been reworked under the hood so much the engine wouldn't be recognizable. Saw one in Havana that had a Gaz truck starter converted to fit a Chevy.

[sean beamer]

10:03 PM on 03/24/2012

and we call it democracy !

[snewell]

09:40 PM on 03/24/2012

THE EMBARGO SHOULD END BUT IT HAS GIVEN REPUBLICANS 40 YEARS OF POLITICAL LEVERAGE IN MIAMI SO IT WON'T END ANYTIME SOON.

[alarmpro1]

08:08 PM on 03/24/2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JGI-arwt-g

no dictator no embargo is the only solution. The Castro brothers have a lot of stolen money in the bank, no embargo more money for Castro.

[alarmpro1]

08:01 PM on 03/24/2012

no dictator no embargo is the only solution.

[Royce09]

07:21 PM on 03/24/2012

crap between cuba and the US has been going on since the 60's LET IT END PLEASE, now.

[agrue6]

07:07 PM on 03/24/2012

Its a two way street Cuba. I feel that a large portion of americans may be open to laxer regulations against you some point soon, but you'll have to be the ones to take the first step, which I don't see happening EVER.

[LMPE]

07:06 PM on 03/24/2012

the US government still lives in the past

[D-Driller]

06:55 PM on 03/24/2012

Who cares about the Cubans? If they try to allow any more nukes on their soil, we'll bomb them viciously. Other than that, let them prosper, let them starve, let them do something in between - who cares?

[snewell]

09:41 PM on 03/24/2012

GLAD YOUR NOT RUNNING FOR OFFICE ANYTIME SOON (I HOPE)

[ligligl]

06:32 PM on 03/24/2012

Petty...

[soldr]

05:57 PM on 03/24/2012

what's is the difference between marxists and democrats? I guess they all decided to have the meeting over the net. less expensive that way and uses less resources.

[Whitemellon]

06:54 PM on 03/24/2012

A real intellectual coffee pot you are. Why don't you try shutting of Fox and picking up a couple of books on the subject. If you do you may wonder why sentences are started with capital letters. Well, there's books where you can learn about that to.

[LMPE]

07:07 PM on 03/24/2012

And I assume that you went to Webster's Dictionary, looked up the definition of Marxism, and came up with a well-reasoned argument for your statement, rather than just parroting whatever you heard on Fox "News".

[Aneesia]

05:54 PM on 03/24/2012

This country always has to have problems overseas so that we can be distracted from what is happening in America today. US caused unemployment by a bought out Congress and the slow destruction of our own freedoms....by the same group.