Colonel Mario Méndez Mayedo, the head of the Directorate of Identification, Immigration, and Foreigners (DIIE) of Cuba's Ministry of the Interior (MININT), is currently in New York as part of an official Cuban government delegation attending the United Nations General Assembly.
The presence of this high-ranking MININT official in the United States has raised eyebrows due to existing sanctions against the Cuban state agency for human rights violations on the island. The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not list his name in its official delegation, but his attendance was confirmed by an article in Cubadebate, which mentioned him among officials meeting with Cuban Americans at the Cuban mission to the UN.
Mario Méndez Mayedo is a significant figure in migration issues, making his participation in this trip particularly noteworthy. Despite the sanctions, the colonel was granted a visa under the U.S.'s obligations as the host country of the UN.
Presence in New York
During his stay in New York, Méndez Mayedo has not been photographed at official events of the Cuban delegation and does not appear to have attended meetings on migration with the Biden administration, even though he has previously led negotiations on the subject.
Back in 2016, he traveled to Miami to discuss human trafficking and immigration fraud with officials from the Obama administration.
Recent Activities
The only public event he has been identified in so far was a meeting at the Cuban mission to the UN. There, alongside the Director General of Consular Affairs and Cuban Residents Abroad (DACCRE), Ana Teresita González Fraga, he explained the new migration and citizenship laws approved by the National Assembly in July.
The recent Migration Law expands the powers of the Ministry of the Interior to impose travel bans for national security reasons.
Controversial Figure
The Human Rights Foundation has criticized Méndez Mayedo for his role in enforcing travel restrictions on dissidents, listing him in its database of human rights violators.
The Cuban exile community is puzzled by the increasing reports of regime officials traveling to the United States, whether for professional visits, family invitations, or even establishing residences in Florida through humanitarian parole benefits.