A Dominican Republic businesswoman seeking to make her travels between her homeland and Guyana less frustrating is among the latest applicants for Guyanese citizenship.
Yocasty Dipland, of 214 Sand Reef, Annandale, East Coast Demerara, was not at home when Stabroek News visited. However, her husband, Rajkumar Outar, who operates a coconut export business, related that she had returned to her home country for business.
Stabroek News subsequently managed to contact Dipland via phone and she explained that after marrying Outar, she has been living in between her home country and Guyana for the past five years.
“I have been living in Guyana and DR. We operate a business and we have to be travelling a lot,” she said, before explaining that she decided to apply for citizenship to make her travels less frustrating.
“Even though I am married, the immigration officers at the airport asks you lot of questions: ‘Where you going? Why you are back in the country so quick? What you are doing here?’ And all kinds of things. It is very difficult when you have to keep answering these questions,” Dipland related.
During the telephone call, she made it clear that she and her husband were not a part of any illegal act as it would cost them.
Also seeking citizenship is Cuban national Erik Diaz Ortega, of 227 South Road, Bourda George-town, who says he trying to get naturalised to get on a path for a better life. “In Cuba, it is harder for us. Here, we are able to earn and make money faster. I want a life here and I want to bring my two boys here. Life is easier,” he explained.
He noted that while he has been living in Guyana for the past three years, he has been married to his wife, a Guyanese national, close to a year now.
He explained that getting naturalised would improve his life since he would be able to get the necessary documentation to upgrade his business. “Moving here would give me a fresh start and make life better, not only for me but my boys also,” he indicated.
Ortega is currently managing a space which houses nationals from his country during their short visits to Guyana.
According to records recently released to Stabroek News by Citizenship Minister Winston Felix, Cubans make up a sizeable number of the applicants who have been granted citizenship since 2015.
