On June 10th, 37-year-old Cuban native Yauniel Hernández Rodríguez returned to Miami from Havana feeling deeply disillusioned after his mother's visa application was denied for the third time. This time, the U.S. consulate in Cuba refused to issue a family reunification visa to her, citing her past as a nurse at a clinic in Guanabo, Havana, and accusing her—without evidence—of potentially being a member of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC). Conversely, her 16-year-old son, who has been living with his grandmother since his father emigrated to the United States in 2015, was granted a reunification visa.
The consulate's only suggestion for Hernández to reunite with his mother was to apply for a waiver. However, he is adamant about not pursuing this option, as he believes it would unjustly imply that his mother was affiliated with the PCC, which he insists is false.
"The consulate informed me: 'In your mother's case, you must request a waiver for having been a member or participated in some affiliation with the PCC.' He then handed me the document," Hernández recounted in an interview with CiberCuba on Wednesday.
When asked on what grounds the U.S. consulate in Havana based its accusation that his mother is a PCC member, Hernández was unequivocal: "On nothing. There's no basis because my mother never was. The only questions she was asked were about her work and education. She replied: 'I'm retired. I retired two months ago. I was a nurse at the Mario Muñoz clinic in Guanabo.' It was then that the consular officer denied her, citing her as 'possibly a Communist Party member.'"
Hernández's mother, although residing in Cuba, holds Spanish nationality and, besides her son, who became a U.S. citizen in December 2024, she has three other siblings in the United States who have also obtained U.S. citizenship. One of them she hasn't seen in 25 years.
Her story is complicated by the fact that this is the third denial of a U.S. visa. Initially, an invitation from her son was rejected because she was deemed a "potential immigrant." Her second attempt, in Guyana last January, was unsuccessful due to prioritization of her family reunification application. Now, the suspicion of past PCC affiliation has led to another denial, a claim she firmly denies.
At 61, Hernández's mother retired two months ago and brought a letter to her U.S. Embassy interview in Havana, confirming she had not participated in the PCC nor engaged in public demonstrations of loyalty to the Castro regime. During an interview, Marisela Fernández García, claiming to be her former department head at the Cuban clinic, vouched for her, stating, "She never belonged to any political organization. It's a sad story. A mother full of hope to be with her son and grandchildren."
Hernández emphasized his mother's simple career history, having worked as a nurse since age 17 and retiring with a modest salary of 3,200 Cuban pesos, barely enough for basic necessities. He is resolved not to request the waiver, considering the process costly, time-consuming, and unnecessary as it would mean admitting to something untrue. His future plans include selling his U.S. properties and relocating to Spain with his family.
The tightening of consular procedures by the U.S. Embassy in Havana is leaving many Cuban families in a difficult situation, meeting all requirements for family reunification only to be rejected over supposed ideological ties. Hernández's experience mirrors that of Andy Leal's mother, who also holds Spanish citizenship and faced similar visa denial due to alleged political affiliations, despite PCC rules against dual citizenship for members.
Recently, the U.S. Embassy's chargé d'affaires in Cuba, Mike Hammer, confirmed in a Miami press conference that consular standards in Havana have become stricter. "We're enforcing U.S. laws that prevent visas from being issued to Communist Party members who held significant positions or were active until recent years. We don't want oppressors wandering South Beach, sipping mojitos. That's not acceptable, nor is it fair," he stated.
Understanding U.S. Visa Denials for Alleged Communist Affiliations
Why was the visa denied to Yauniel Hernández's mother?
The U.S. consulate in Havana denied her visa due to suspicions—without evidence—of her being potentially affiliated with the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC).
What options are available for contesting the visa denial?
The only option suggested by the consulate was to apply for a waiver, but Hernández is unwilling to pursue this as it implies admission of something he insists is untrue.
How has the U.S. Embassy in Havana changed its visa policies?
The embassy has tightened its consular standards, focusing on preventing visas for individuals with possible ties to the Communist Party, particularly those who held significant roles or were active until recent years.