Vaz welcomes plan to address visa revocation

MEMBER of Parliament for Portland Western and Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Daryl Vaz has welcomed word from former United States Ambassador to Jamaica Donald Tapia that he is doing his best to correct an injustice that was done when the State Department revoked Vaz’s visa in 2019.

According to Vaz, he is cautiously optimistic that the matter will be resolved shortly.

“I have been subject to innuendos and a smear campaign since I entered politics many years ago as a councillor, and it appears that this would have resulted in the action against my wife and I in the visa issue,” Vaz said on

Nationwide News Network yesterday.

The Portland Western MP was responding to Tapia’s comments during an interview with veteran journalist Cliff Hughes also on

Nationwide News Network.

During the interview, Tapia said a wrong was done to Vaz when his US visa was revoked.

Tapia said the consular section of the United States Embassy appears to have blundered when it revoked Vaz’s visa, based on inconclusive innuendos.

According to Tapia, inconclusive data, which should have been more properly investigated, played a role in the revocation of Vaz’s visa. He argued that rumours and innuendos shouldn’t be allowed to ruin anyone’s career.

The former ambassador made it clear that he had nothing to do with the issuing or revocation on US visas and added that he would do all he can to right this wrong.

Tapia’s comments yesterday were in keeping with his final Facebook Live broadcast before he left the island in January.

At that time, Tapia hinted at his disappointment of the decision by the US State Department to revoke Vaz’s and declared how impressed he was by the firebrand politician.