Visa Approved for Sandinista Aide to Attend UCSD Despite U.S. Ban

Despite a policy barring Nicaragua’s ruling Sandinista Party officials from the United States, the State Department recently approved a visa for a Sandinista foreign-policy expert enrolled in a UCSD summer course.

Ramon Meneses Martinez, director of the North American desk of the International Relations Directorate of the Sandinista National Liberation Front, arrived Sunday for a six-week seminar sponsored by the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies at UC San Diego. The course is funded by a $575,000 grant from the Ford Foundation.

25 From Latin America

Meneses is among 25 scholars and professionals from throughout Latin America who are enrolled in the intensive course, which includes various U.S. topics, including the Constitution, Congress, the presidency, mass media and political parties. He missed the first week of the seminar while U.S. officials debated his visa request.

State Department spokesman Adam Shub denied Wednesday that U.S. officials are softening their stance in a 9-month-old policy that bars most Cuban and Nicaraguan government officials--including members of Managua’s ruling Sandinista Party--from this country. The ban has been in effect since then-President Reagan issued a proclamation in October to limit the number of Nicaraguan and Cuban officials allowed into the United States.

“The secretary of state is permitted to review cases on an individual basis and allowed to grant waivers if he determines that granting a visa is in the best interest of the United States,” Shub said. “Apparently, he felt that issuing a visa in this case was considered to be in the U.S. interest.”

He declined to comment further and refused to say whether Meneses was issued a visa in exchange for a similar visa for a U.S. official.

The visa war between the United States and Nicaragua heated up in May after the expulsion of two diplomats from each country. Manuel Cordero, a Foreign Ministry official in Managua, said Meneses is the first Sandinista official allowed to travel to the United States since May.

Regular Contact With Embassy

Meneses did not return messages left for him with center officials.

A U.S. Embassy official in Managua said Meneses and Cordero are among the few Sandinista officials who speak regularly with the embassy. This may explain why the State Department relented and agreed to give Meneses a visa.

“We still occasionally give visas,” the official said. “They asked us, and they bugged us to let him have one, and we said OK. He’s someone we talk to. We know him. There’s no earth-shaking significance to this, but maybe it will help loosen things up a bit. Right now, their visa policy (toward the United States) is in the deep freeze.”

As a foreign-policy expert for the Sandinistas, Meneses has a voice in making foreign policy and exerts influence over the Foreign Ministry, which is officially responsible for formulating Nicaragua’s foreign policy. His job also includes monitoring U.S. newspapers.

Educated in the States

Meneses has a BA from Cornell University and did graduate work in Hispanic literature at Yale.

According to a written statement issued by the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies, the seminar’s objectives include the development of more Latin American scholars and professionals to become specialists on the United States. UCSD officials also hope that participants will return to their countries and help establish U.S. studies and international studies programs at Latin American universities.

Center officials said 88 people from 12 countries applied for the course’s 25 positions.

Times staff writer Richard Boudreaux contributed to this story from Managua.