The US is restricting the issuance of visas to Central American citizens because of its ties to China
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the introduction of visa restrictions for a number of Central American citizens who are suspected of “deliberate actions in the interests of the Chinese Communist Party” and in undermining the rule of law. This was reported Reuters.
In his statement, Rubio did not specify either specific individuals or examples of actions that became the basis for imposing sanctions.
“As a result, these people and members of their immediate families generally will not be able to enter the United States”, the secretary of state said in a statement.
He explained that the new policy provides for the possibility of restricting US visas for “citizens of Central American countries who, while in their countries and knowingly acting on behalf of the CCP, deliberately direct, finance, support or carry out activities that undermine the rule of law in the region. The Chinese Embassy in Washington has not yet responded to the statement.
Recall that relations between the US and China have remained tense for many years. The main topics of conflict include trade tariffs, cyber security, espionage, the origin of COVID-19, the ownership of TikTok, and the situation in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Recently, China has been actively trying to strengthen its influence in Latin America, a region that has traditionally been considered an area of US interest.
