U.S. Denies Visa to Assembly Leader

The Clinton administration has denied a visa to Ricardo Alarcon, president of Cuba’s National Assembly, preventing him from attending an international conference of legislators in New York, two U.S. officials said. But two Cuban assembly deputies will be permitted to attend. Alarcon said the United States showed “contempt and lack of respect” for the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The visa was denied under a 1985 presidential proclamation that authorizes refusal of entry if a visit is considered contrary to U.S. interests, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.