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This Wednesday The Embassy of the United States in Cuba will reopen consular services for the first time after a series of unexplained health incidents among diplomatic personnel in 2017 that reduced the presence of Americans in Havana.
According to the Embassy, immigrant visas will be processed this weekwith priority in permits to reunite Cubans with relatives in the United States and others such as the diversity visa lottery.
This action comes after the largest migratory flight from Cuba in decadesa fact that would have put pressure on the Biden administration to open more legal avenues for Cubans and start a dialogue with the Cuban government, despite their rocky relationship.
At the end of 2022 US authorities reported the arrest of 34,645 Cubans who crossed the Mexican border, that is, 21% more than the figure registered in October, which was 28,848.
The US government is expected to grant at least 20,000 visas a year, a minimum that is not enough to satisfy the needs of the applicants.