Cuban Singer Detained in Belgium

HAVANA TIMES — Cuban singer Gladys Hernandez has been held since August 29 in the detention center of the Zaventem Airport in Brussels, reports the Cubaencuentro website.

Hernandez was given a short-stay visa by the Belgian embassy in Havana, as were three other members of her group, and had no trouble getting into the country. However, she was arrested by police after passing through the passport control station.

“At the border, the federal police may require proof of the reason for the stay and evidence that the person has the resources to spend some time in the country. In this case, the reasons were vague and resources inadequate,” said a spokesperson for the Belgium Foreign Office.

The Cuban artist arrived in the Belgian capital from Havana to give several concerts in that and other European countries with her band La Sonora Cubana.