Roma star's petition for US visa ahead of Oscars gathers pace

Jorge Antonio Guerrero has been refused entry to US despite Roma's 10 Oscar nominations

Jorge Antonio Guerrero in Alfonso Cuaron's 'Roma'. Courtesy Netflix 

A petition to grant Roma actor Jorge Antonio Guerrero a visa to enter the US in time for the Oscars has gathered almost 9,000 signatures in the US.

The actor, who plays the lover of the film’s Oscar-nominated lead Cleo, played by Yalitza Aparicio, was denied a visa three times in 2018, despite having letters from the film’s producers and director, the Oscar-winning Alfonso Cuaron.

No reason has been given for the repeated refusals, although Guerro claims that immigration officers have refused to even look at his supporting documents.

Roma director Alfonso Cuaron on set with 'Roma' lead Yalitza Aparicio. Courtesy Netflix.

Mexican magazine El Sol de Tijuana has claimed that the refusals may be related to Guerrero's appearance – the actor is part native American – and also that comments made by officials during the application process suggested they believed that "he was looking for work [in the U.S.]".

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Roma has been nominated for 10 Oscars this year, more than any other film, including Best Film and Best Director, although Guerrero is not nominated personally.

The petition reads: "Roma is one of the most talked about films in this year's Oscar nominations. Unfortunately, one of its lead actors, Jorge Antonio Guerrero, may not even get to attend the ceremony since the US keeps denying him a tourist visa to visit."

“This is incredibly unjust,” the Care2 petition goes on to say. “This actor may have to miss an incredible moment in his career because the US can't get it together on immigration.”

The sentiment is echoed on Twitter 

Some users have simply voiced their outrage:

Others have Tweeted directly at President Trump, asking for him to intervene:

@realDonaldTrump Sir can you kindly intervene on behalf of Jorge Antonio Guerrero he’s been denied a visa 3 times. He is the star of the movie Roma and has been invited to attend the Oscars.#JorgeAntonioGuerrero #lethimin#grantJorgeaVisa

— Tony (@usmc2459) January 26, 2019

Watch the Roma trailer here: