Nigerian playwright Wole Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, has denounced that the United States revoked the visa he was issued last year and that he will have to apply for a new one to travel to the country on other occasions.
«I find it necessary to hold this press conference so that those expecting me at events in the United States do not waste their time (...). I do not have a visa. I am barred from entering the United States, obviously. And if they want to see me, they know where to find me,» Soyinka declared to the press in Lagos.
The playwright explained that the U.S. Consulate in the African country informed him of the decision by letter dated October 23.
«Not even a minor offense that would justify the revocation. I keep asking myself: have I ever behaved badly towards the United States of America? Have I broken any law anywhere?» he lamented.
It was a non-immigrant visa, a type of temporary entry permit granted for purposes such as tourism, medical treatment, business, or work.
The letter Soyinka showed to journalists stated that after the visa was issued, «additional information became available».
«I have no criminal record».
