BY DON BOHNING

 A dispute between Cuba and the U.S. Interests Section in Havana halted the
 issuance of nonimmigrant U.S. visas for two days, bringing uniformed police into
 the street Tuesday to prevent some 200 people from reaching the U.S. diplomatic
 mission to obtain routine travel documents.

 Late Tuesday, however, U.S. officials said the problem appeared to have been
 resolved, with a new, streamlined procedure to be put into effect in 15 days. In the
 meantime, they added, they would continue to issue visas under the old system.

 The officials denied that the visa dispute was linked in any way to the ongoing
 custody controversy over 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez; they acknowledged,
 however, that it had raised the interest level in the situation.

 The visa problem affects Cubans who want to visit the United States for a limited
 period of time to see relatives, and those traveling for academic, cultural or
 humanitarian reasons for a similarly limited duration.

 Under the old system, Cubans seeking visas had to first write to the Interests
 Section, which would reply with a letter notifying them of the day and time of their
 appointment with a consular official. Cubans could then use the second letter to
 enter the Interests Section when stopped and questioned by Cuban police
 outside.

 Because the process could take months, it was considered inefficient and drew
 frequent complaints. This led to efforts to replace it with a speedier system that
 eliminated the time-consuming exchange of letters.

 Under the new procedure, which was supposed to go into effect on Monday,
 Cubans would come at any time to the diplomatic mission, leave their passports
 and pick up a nonimmigrant visa application. They would return the next day with
 a filled-in application for the interview with consular officials.

 ``This is similar to the process we have all over the world. In fact, the letter
 process we do not have anywhere else,'' one U.S. official said. Another diplomatic
 source stressed that the change involved the procedure, and not the approval
 criteria.

 The visa-seekers were apparently stopped by Cuban police Monday and Tuesday
 because they did not bear the letters that, under the old process, were
 considered permits to enter the Interests Section.

 ``We had what we thought was an agreement with the Cubans to change the visa
 system to just make the process easier for both Cubans and for us,'' said another
 U.S. official. ``But when we went to implement it [Monday] the Cubans informed
 us we didn't have an agreement and they didn't want us to do that.''

 By late Tuesday, U.S. diplomats said they had ``a verbal understanding [from
 Cuban officials] that they will guarantee that we would be able to switch to the
 new system'' within 15 days. They were expecting a letter putting the agreement
 in writing.

 They said the Interests Section would continue processing nonimmigrant visa
 applications in the old fashion for a small number of people still in the pipeline
 who have received letters confirming appointments for interviews.

 The Interests Section stopped sending appointment letters two weeks ago in
 anticipation of Monday's start of the new system.

 ``I guess we would say we misunderstood them and they would say they
 misunderstood us'' said one U.S. official, downplaying any political implications of
 the visa squabble. ``It was bureaucrats from two countries involved in a dispute
 over how to do something.''

 Herald staff writer Juan O. Tamayo contributed to this report.
 

                     Copyright 2000 Miami Herald