EL SALVADOR JOINS AFROPHIBIA RACE

Any African who has travelled around the world knows how difficult it is getting from point A to point B 'while African.' Before traveling to almost any country outside the continent, Africans are subjected to some of the most cumbersome visa applications processes on planet earth. Weeks, even months can go by before an approval or denial is issued. However, if you are lucky enough to get the visa, then you still must deal with equally difficult transit regulations if your ticket is not a direct flight to your destination. It seems like countries are competing against each other to see who can implement the most hostile visa requirements to Africans. And El Salvador seems to have become a strong contender for the championship title. In early November, the Central American country announced that it was going to impose a $1130 travel fee on each and every African and Indian transiting through its airports. Authorities claim that the exorbitant fee is earmarked for improving aviation infrastructure in the country, but many wonder why only Africans and Indians are being subjected to this fee. Well, if it looks and smells like racism, it probably is. Watch our African sister, Tanekalouit-Touraouet, react to this strange fee.