The Ecuadorian government has removed the requirement of Invitation letter for entry into its territory to Cubans as tourists for a period of up to 90 days, according to a recent statement from the Foreign Ministry of the country.
This new decision rectifies the previous policy of Ecuador, implemented at the time of the changes to Cuban immigration regulations in January 2013.
While restrictions were eliminated in Cuba, Ecuador, that since 2008 does not require visa for Cubans, imposed the invitation letter in order to “contribute to the validity of an orderly migration between the two countries and prevent trafficking in persons” as then reported.
Only in 2012 21 480 Cubans went to that country, according to official statistics. There are currently residing in that country, in different legal status, about 40,000 Cubans, who are beginning to form a differentiable community and not in all cases has been well received by the locals.
The Ecuadorian government based now this decision on the “excellent bilateral relations, in the mutual cooperation in various fields, one of which is immigration, where there have been various understandings for the benefit of the two countries.”
“Professionals of Cuban nationality are serving in branches such as health, education, sports, technical areas , among others, constituting as citizens of other nationalities, a contribution to the development of the country . ” the note from the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry continues.
Last Friday the President of the Board of the Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security (IESS by its Spanish acronym), Fernando Cordero, announced that in about two months 226 Cuban medical specialists will join their hospitals.
They come to fill positions that they have not been able to fill “with all the contest held by Ecuadorian doctors,” Cordero said.
The new immigration measure will take effect from today April 1 , and will surely be welcomed by many Cubans, interested or not to emigrate to that country definitely.
Published in Progreso Semanal
