Nobel Winner Wole Soyinka Barred from US After Green Card Protest.
The United States government has permanently cancelled the travel visa of renowned Nigerian writer and Nobel Prize winner, Professor Wole Soyinka.
Soyinka made the announcement during a public event in Lagos on Tuesday, explaining that he received the official notification from the U.S. Consulate in Lagos just a few days prior.
The development follows a years-long public disagreement with former U.S. President Donald Trump. Back in December 2016, following Trump’s electoral victory, Soyinka famously destroyed his U.S. Permanent Resident Card, known as a Green Card, as a form of protest.
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At the media gathering, themed ‘Unending Saga: Idi Amin In Whiteface!’, the 90-year-old author read directly from the consulate’s letter. Dated October 23, the document stated that his B1/B2 visitor visa was “revoked” and “no longer valid for application into the United States.”
It cited “Department of State Regulations” and noted that “additional information became available after the below visa was issued.” The visa in question had only been issued in April of this year.
When asked about the reason for the revocation, Soyinka connected it to his political stance. “This development seemed like being witch-hunted because of my position against the policies of President Donald Trump,” he told attendees at Freedom Park.
Despite the action, Soyinka expressed no personal bitterness. He stated that he holds no ill will towards the American people and will continue to welcome them to his home in Abeokuta, Nigeria.
“There are no hard feelings as a result of this development,” he said. “I have no issues with the people or the nation.”
The celebrated playwright and global intellectual affirmed that he would not be silenced by the visa cancellation. He pledged to continue speaking out against racism and governmental policies he believes are wrong, regardless of the country involved.
“As a global citizen,” Soyinka said, “I will continue to speak against what I feel is wrong with the policies of governments, including that of Donald Trump.”
Professor Soyinka won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, the first African to receive the honor. He is known worldwide for his plays, poetry, and memoirs, as well as for his lifelong activism and criticism of authoritarian regimes.
Nobel Winner Wole Soyinka Barred from US After Green Card Protest.
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