Cuba Protests U.S. Denying Visa Request

WASHINGTON - Cuba protested on Monday a U.S. decision to deny a visa to its health minister, who had planned to attend the annual meeting of the Pan American Health Organization.

Dagoberto Rodriguez, Cuba's top diplomat in the United States, said the U.S. action "violated the letter and the spirit" of the PAHO charter. He said it was the second year in a row that the United States has prevented Cuba's top health official from attending the meeting.

In a statement to the opening session of the meeting, Rodriguez called the U.S. policy a "vulgar hoax."

The State Department had no comment, consistent with its usual policy on visa decisions.

All countries in the hemisphere belong to PAHO, whose headquarters is located in Washington.