AAUP Urges Secretary Clinton to Let Colombian Journalist Into U.S.

The American Association of University Professors has joined two other groups in urging Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to review the State Department’s decision to deny a visa to the prominent Colombian journalist Hollman Morris. According to the Associated Press, Mr. Morris is attempting to travel to the United States to participate in Harvard University’s Nieman fellowship program for journalists, but he was denied a visa by a U.S. consular official who cited language in the U.S. Patriot Act intended to keep people with terrorism connections out of the country. Mr. Morris has criticized ties between illegal far-right militias and allies of Colombia’s departing president, Álvaro Uribe, a key U.S. ally who in turn has accused Mr. Morris of being an accomplice to terrorists. In a letter sent today to Secretary Clinton, the AAUP, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the PEN American Center say the exclusion of Mr. Morris sends  “a troubling message”  about the nation’s commitment to the free exchange of ideas.