Washington's diplomatic mission in Port of Spain has emphasized that American travel documents remain revocable privileges after environmental activist Gary Aboud lost his recently renewed tourist visa. The corporate secretary for Fishermen and Friends of the Sea received notification that his ten-year authorization was prudentially canceled following the discovery of potential inadmissibility grounds.
Visa chief Mike Mitchell warned that legal violations carry severe repercussions for document holders, noting that arrests or infractions can trigger deportation and permanent ineligibility. Aboud, who has criticized expanded American naval operations near Venezuela, characterized the action as an attack on civil society oversight. His organization has spent nearly three decades championing coastal communities and environmental protection.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar rejected any government involvement in the cancellation, stressing that immigration determinations rest entirely with American authorities. She dismissed claims that advocacy groups face systematic suppression, calling such assertions reckless and misleading while reaffirming her administration's commitment to protecting dissent across the political spectrum.
Visa chief Mike Mitchell warned that legal violations carry severe repercussions for document holders, noting that arrests or infractions can trigger deportation and permanent ineligibility. Aboud, who has criticized expanded American naval operations near Venezuela, characterized the action as an attack on civil society oversight. His organization has spent nearly three decades championing coastal communities and environmental protection.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar rejected any government involvement in the cancellation, stressing that immigration determinations rest entirely with American authorities. She dismissed claims that advocacy groups face systematic suppression, calling such assertions reckless and misleading while reaffirming her administration's commitment to protecting dissent across the political spectrum.
