About a week and a half ago we told you about the sudden cancellation of Minister of Transport and NEMO, Edmund Castro's diplomatic and tourist visas for the United States. The cancellation came the day before Alvarine Burgess testified that Castro took money in return for visa recommendations - a claim which he denies.
We've spoken to Castro since then and he told us that the revocation happened because his visas were about two months away from expiring. The Embassy asked Castro, to come in for an interview but the Minister said that he wasn't interested. At the time, we also spoke with Embassy official, J. Nathan Bland, but he was not able to disclose any information.
Today we had the opportunity to speak to the US Embassy's Charge d'Affaires, Adrienne Galanek, about the situation. Here's what she had to say...
Adrienne Galanek, Chargé d'affaires, U.S. Embassy
"The Department of State has broad authority under the Immigration and Nationalities Act to at any time revoke a visa if the Department of State deems someone inadmissible to the United States or otherwise ineligible for a visa."
Reporter
"But what would be the circumstances that would probably lead to that decision?"
Adrienne Galanek
"That's a determination that's made by the Department of State under the authorities vested in Immigration and Nationalities Act and that's, I'd have to refer you to Section Two-Twenty-one of the Immigration and Nationalities Act."
Reporter
"Ma'am I know you are not allowed to called names, I know that's the law, but if I could just throw a scenario you way, my name is Mike, I am a minister of government. I have a diplomatic visa, a tourist visa. My visa expires in 60-61 days, the US Embassy has called me or contacted me and say look listen come in we want to renew your visa, let's discuss this and I don't answer, I don't respond, so the US Embassy just says you know what we revoking the visas. Is that a plausible scenario?"
Adrienne Galanek
"Basically it's up to you to come in to the embassy and respond to if you want to renew your visa you come in and you have to go through an interview process and it's the determination of the counselor officer at the time who makes the determination as in any applicant regarding eligibility for visa."
Reporter
"An automatic viva, is that an plausible scenario where it expires in 60 days, but because I don't express an interest in coming into the embassy the embassy just decides you know I'll revoke this 2 months before its expires."
Adrienne Galanek
"I don't want to get into different scenarios, basically it's under the authority vested in the immigration and nationalities act section 22:1."
Another Cabinet member has been in hot water with Embassy recently.
The Embassy donated a boat to the Ministry of Defence that is supposed to be used for criminal interdiction and counter-narcotic efforts, however Minister of Defence John Saldivar, was exposed for using the vessel to transport his Belmopan Bandits basketball team to San Pedro for games. The Embassy then contacted Foreign Affairs to express their concern and displeasure for the misuse of the donation. We asked Galanek for an update on that situation...
Reporter
"Couple weeks ago the US Embassy had express some concerns about the Coast Guard situation with Minister John Saldivar. I believe it was just a release out a statement via phone. Could you give us an update on that? The Embassy has said that it was in an information gathering stage."
Adrienne Galanek, Chargé d'affaires, U.S. Embassy
"Basically we have been discussing the situation with the government of Belize. They are aware of our concerns and we also have assurances that the situation won't occur again."
Saldivar has said that he does not believe using the donated vessel as a ferry is a misuse but a form of community support.
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