The United States press officer in Santo Domingo confirmed that Washington has revoked the B1/B2 entry visa of government legal advisor Guido Gomez Mazara, says Hoy newspaper. This non-immigrant visa is issued to individuals wishing to enter the US temporarily for business, pleasure or medical treatment.
Gomez Mazara’s passport does, however, still contain a visa to travel to the United States and he will be able to enter the US for as long as that passport is valid. Gomez Mazara studied in the US and is married to a US citizen.
Although the embassy’s press office confirmed that the reason for revoking the visa was that “Mr Guido Gomez Mazara was ineligible under the terms of the nationality and immigration law,” their statement quoted in Hoy newspaper claims that no other details are available for reasons of confidentiality.
Diario Libre explains today that the official visa was not suspended because of international treaties that say a suspension of the visa of a government official is akin to an unfriendly gesture to that government’s country and it would require the DR to assess diplomatic penalties. President Mejia has been especially complacent with requests from the United States regarding trade negotiations and even supporting the US position on Iraq by contributing Dominican troops.
Rumors surrounding Gomez Mazara’s status have been circulating for the last few months, but came to a head when the leading PRD activist and prominent supporter of the President’s re-election plans made an unexpected return from Puerto Rico in December 2002. He then dismissed the rumors as an attempt to discredit him.
Gomez Mazara did not explain the reasons for the cancellation of his personal visa. Nevertheless, he is quoted in the Diario Libre saying that he still had five years to travel on his official visa. He is convinced that President Mejia will be re-elected in 2004.
President Mejia said that Gomez Mazara was not the only official whose visa has been revoked.