world
US Revokes Visas of Costa Rican Newspaper Executives
The United States has revoked tourist visas for several board executives at La Nación, a leading Costa Rican media outlet. The newspaper attributes the action to its criticism of the outgoing Costa Rican president, an ally of President Trump, and views it as an attempt to intimidate dissent. Press freedom organizations and opposition figures have demanded explanations from U.S.
Abc NewsAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
The United States has revoked the tourist visas of several executives on the board of La Nación, one of Costa Rica's leading newspapers, according to a statement from the outlet. The affected board members learned of the revocations through reports in pro-government media, with no explanation provided by U.S. authorities.
This development has raised accusations that the U.S., working with the Costa Rican government, is using visa restrictions to target critics and political opponents. La Nación has been a persistent critic of outgoing Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves, who has cooperated closely with the Trump administration on deportation efforts.
The newspaper published allegations of sexual harassment against Chaves during his 2022 presidential campaign, drawing public rebukes from him. Chaves has agreed to accept up to 100 third-country deportees per month as part of U.S. initiatives to increase deportations.
In its front-page statement on Sunday, La Nación acknowledged the U.S. right to control entry but described the revocations as unprecedented for board members of an independent newspaper in Costa Rica's recent history.
“We fully recognize that the United States, like any sovereign state, has the power to determine the terms of entry into its territory. However, it is unprecedented in Costa Rica’s recent history for visas to be revoked from members of the board of a general-interest and independent newspaper.”
Political opposition and press freedom organizations in Costa Rica criticized the move, calling for transparent explanations from both governments. They stated that if the decision stemmed from the executives' critical stance, it would signal trouble for the country's democratic system.
