Those publications quote the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA), which considered the delay in granting visas to Cuban journalists accredited to the United Nations (UN) and Washington as “inexplicable.”

They point out that UNCA President Valeria Robecco expressed that she was surprised by the “inexplicable delay” in granting visas to the current correspondents, who have been waiting for more than two years without receiving a response.

They recall that the Prensa Latina has had an office at the UN for many years, where several correspondents have alternated and share Robecco’s hope that the situation will be resolved as soon as possible.

The Mexican publications report that over the last two years, the UNCA has contacted the US mission to the United Nations to inquire about the status of visas for Ibis Frade and Ernesto Redonet, the Cuban journalists, and they initially stated that both were in “administrative processing,” but then it stopped replying to their emails.

Since December 2019, the Prensa Latina correspondents accredited to the UN have been in Havana waiting for their visas, for which they have already applied twice, because one year after the application is submitted, the process automatically expires.

They indicate that the United Nations Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit (MALU) renewed the accreditation of the two Prensa Latina correspondents, despite not having their category I visas for Foreign Media Representatives, one of the requirements requested in this process.

Both MALU and UNCA also expressed their intention to preserve the Prensa Latina office in the UN building.

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