In brief
Wole Soyinka, a renowned Nigerian author and Nobel Prize winner, revealed that his US visa has been revoked as he continues to face backlash for his criticism of the Trump administration. Previously a permanent resident, Soyinka sarcastically described the revocation as a 'love letter' from the US embassy, urging attendees to avoid inviting him to the country. His historical protests against Trump, including tearing up his green card in 2016, have likely contributed to his current situation.
Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has informed the public that his US visa has been revoked, effectively banning him from entering the country. The 91-year-old, who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, recounted that he was instructed by the US consulate to present his passport in person for the cancellation of his visa, as new unspecified information had emerged.Describing the consulate's invitation as a 'rather curious love letter from an embassy,' Soyinka held a news conference where he advised organizations wishing to invite him to the US to 'not waste their time.' The US embassy in Nigeria stated that they cannot comment on individual cases.Having previously maintained permanent residency in the US, Soyinka renounced his green card in 2016, dramatically destroying it in protest of Donald Trump's election as president. 'My green card fell between the fingers of a pair of scissors and it got cut into a couple of pieces,' he joked during the press conference.Despite enjoying regular teaching roles at various US universities for three decades, Soyinka declared that he is now barred from the country. He connected the revocation of his visa to his long-standing criticisms of the Trump administration, suggesting that his remarks comparing Trump to Uganda's dictator Idi Amin may have exacerbated the situation. 'When I called Donald Trump Idi Amin, I thought I was paying him a compliment,' he remarked, adding that the former president has acted like a dictator.In light of his advanced age, Soyinka questioned whether he would consider returning to the US, asking, 'How old am I?' This development comes alongside new changes to the US's non-immigrant visa policy for citizens of Nigeria and several other African nations, severely restricting the duration and nature of visas available to them.
