Cuban consulate in D.C. will renew passports till Dec. 31

Text of public notice released Tuesday (Aug. 19) by the Cuban Interests Section in Washington. Translation by Progreso Weekly.

The Cuban Interests Section in Washington wishes to inform the users of its Consular Office that, despite the efforts made, it has not been possible to find a U.S. or foreign bank in the United States or a third country that will assume our banking operations, due to the regulations derived from the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the Government of the United States upon Cuba and the groundless designation of our country as a “State sponsor of international terrorism.”

The Interests Section continues to work to achieve a solution that will permit the normalization of the functions of its Consular Office, which has worsened in the current context, resulting from the recrudescence of the United States’ financial persecution of Cuba, expressed, among other manifestations, by the imposition of multimillion-dollar fines to foreign banks, by virtue of the extraterritorial application of the blockade laws, in violation of International Law.

Taking into account the above, as a temporary solution, the Interests Section has decided to extend the services of its Consular Office, which were announced on 15 May 2014, to renew passports and extend their validity to those Cuban citizens residing in the United States who hold reservations for travel to Cuba, until 31 December 2014.

The abovementioned formalities must be executed through the travel agencies with working relations with the Consular Office, directly at its site in Washington, D.C.

The Interests Section repeats that the applications motivated by humanitarian reasons will continue to receive expeditious treatment and that, in accordance with the immigration rules in effect in Cuba, Cuban citizens living abroad must carry a valid passport to enter the national territory.

19 August 2014