The FNM urges the Government of The Bahamas to ensure that visitors and residents are protected against violence.
The Bahamian people learned today that for the first time ever in The Bahamas the visa processing services of the United States Embassy were suspended for reasons other than an emergency such as an impending hurricane. The suspension of services for Bahamian nationals is until at least Wednesday.
The abrupt suspension of services we are told was as a result of the June 9th robbery and injury of a diplomat assigned to that embassy. There have been additional reports of attacks against visitors seeking to worship at the Roman Catholic Cathedral. The most recent such incident involved two (2) visitors robbed at gun point as they made their way along West Street today.
In recent weeks newspapers have reported a number of other robberies of visitors in the downtown Nassau area, one tragically resulting in the death of a boatman.
As expected, this decision by the US Embassy has sent shockwaves throughout The Bahamas. The FNM urges the Government of The Bahamas to ensure that visitors and residents are protected against violence. Clearly, it must be possible for a visitor, in broad day light to attend the Cathedral at West Street without being robbed!
The FNM found the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration’s emergency communication to Parliament woefully inadequate. In a conversation with the US Embassy the FNM was given assurances that every effort will be taken to return visa services to Bahamian nationals to normality.
Source: Free National Movement
