Pro Castro Singer is granted Visa by the U.S.

The Cuban Artist who is fairly known for his close connection with the Cuban Revolution and Fidel Castro’s long-term dictatorship, the Singer/Songwriter Silvio Rodríguez, has been granted a visa to sing in the United States for the first time in more than three decades, according to his lawyer from the U.S. Immigration. 

The lawyer, William Martinez, said mister Rodriguez plans to to tour the United States in June. Rodriguez is scheduled to make an appearance with his seven-piece band at the Carnegie Hall on June 4. Other planned concert places includes Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Mr. Rodriguez hinted on a concert in Miami where he is admired by many people because of his unrelenting support of the Castro communist regime. He said a concert in Miami “is one of the things that might be happening as well.” 

The Obama administration has since late last year loosened restrictions on visas issued to Cuban artists who are based on Cuba but have rejected the offer to renounce their loyalties to the Castro regime, or decline deflection. This arrangement actually stems from the administration of the ex American president George W. Bush.  The result of this latest development has been that for the last couple of months Cuban performers such as the Salsa pioneers El Septeto Nacional and singer-songwriter Carlos Varela, who plans to play at SOB’s in Manhattan tonight (Thursday May 13), have been able to travel and perform in the United States.  

The 63 years old Silvio Rodríguez  has a long history as a singer who is loyal to Castro, which makes the government of the United States consider him to be a ‘special case’. He has written many songs praising the Cuban communist system and exalting Che Guevara, he gave concerts to Cuban soldiers sent to fight in civil wars taking place in Africa, and has served as a member of the parliament of Cuba endorsing Castro’s policies without assessing their merit.

Silvio is also famous in the rest of Latin America for his left wing traditional values, and for his controversial concerts in which he criticizes the United States and defends the Cuban system. Last year he criticized the Obama administration in a letter which was widely spread in the state-controlled Cuban media after he did not obtain a visa in time for him to perform at the 90th birthday party of Pete Seeger. 

He wrote, “I continue feeling so blocked and discriminated against, just as by other governments in Washington,”  “I hope this really changes some day,” he added. American officials declared that Silvio Rodríguez’ visa would have been approved in time if his visa request had been submitted early enough to allow the bureaucratic procedures to run their normal course.

The following videoclip shows the interview which Cuban government controlled TeleSur held with Rodriguez last year asking him about not getting his visa in time to perform for Pete Seeger. He declares not being dangerous to anybody but himself, and he also speaks out his suspicion of U.S. censorship against him.