Washington, USA - A planned trip to Cuba this week by a U.S. religious freedom watchdog group has been canceled after the Cuban government did not issue visas to the delegation, the group said Monday, even as the Obama administration moved to ease sanctions on the communist nation.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said it had been forced to call off the fact-finding visit that had been scheduled to run from Tuesday to Thursday due to the lack of visas. It said the visas had been applied for weeks earlier and it had received no explanation for why they were not granted.
"We are very disappointed by the Cuban government's refusal to allow an official U.S. delegation to investigate first-hand Cuban citizens' freedom to believe and practice their faith on the island," said commission chair Felice Gaer, noting that countries like China, Vietnam, Laos, Saudi Arabia had allowed visits. "Does the Cuban government have something to hide?"
"The commission has received reports that there are improvements in some sectors in Cuba," Gaer said. "As with other countries, we seek to ascertain how much and where. If everything is so normal in Cuba, then the Cuban government should welcome a USCIRF visit. Not allowing USCIRF's bipartisan delegation to visit is a very disturbing sign."
No one was available immediately after working hours at the Cuban Interest Section in Washington to speak on the matter.
A commission official said diplomats at the interest section had told the group the visas were not issued because they had not heard back from superiors in Havana.
Members of the commission, an independent congressionally mandated panel that provides recommendations to the government on religious freedom matters, had wanted to travel to Cuba to speak with Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Santeria leaders there.
The commission canceled the trip just hours after the White House announced that President Barack Obama had eased restrictions on money transfers and travel to Cuba by Americans with relatives on the island. It said the move, which fulfilled one of Obama's campaign promises, was a path to promoting personal freedom and a freer flow of information in one of the few remaining Communist nations.
Gaer said the commission would continue applying for visas to visit Cuba to evaluate the state of religious freedom there. Cuba since 2004 has been on the commission's "watch list" of countries being monitored for abuse of its citizens' right to freedom of religion.