The United Kingdom on Wednesday did not authorize a visa for a communist journalist and spokesman for the leftist Patriotic March party.
Carlos Lozano Guillen planned to visit London April 9-12 and meet with Labour Party members, trade unionists and British NGO Justice for Colombia. According to the journalist’s blog, the purpose of the meeting was to gather contacts and support for the peace talks between the Colombian government and the country’s largest rebel group the FARC in Havana, Cuba as well gather support for his communist publication VOZ.
He flew to Paris, France on April 2 to participate in the Festival Cultura America conference and upon arriving at the British Embassy to retrieve his passport, the leftist journalist was advised that his visa had not been authorized.
British authorities told Lozano that he had to return to Bogota, Colombia and solicit the visa again. Lozano said that by the time he returned to London after re-soliciting the visa, he would have already missed the meeting.
According to Lozano, “This is a maneuver to argue against the eventual protests by British [Members of Parliament] and trade unionists that the visa is pending and has not been denied.”
The journalist further added, “The government of United Kingdom sends their support to the Armed Forces to appease the war, but they refuse entry in London to a journalist critical of the government and a leader of the political left, to promote peace. It’s democracy as far as they are concerned.”