The US has canceled tourist visas for over half of La Nación's board members, Costa Rica's leading newspaper critical of President Rodrigo Chaves. This action follows the newspaper's reporting on allegations against Chaves during his presidential campaign.
Key points
US cancels tourist visas for La Nación board members
La Nación reported allegations against President Rodrigo Chaves
Chaves has been critical of La Nación's reporting
Chaves has a close relationship with the US government
Mentioned in this story
La NaciónRodrigo ChavesWorld BankUS government
The US state department has canceled tourist visas for more than half the board members of Costa Rica’s leading national newspaper, La Nación, which has been a critical voice against the country’s president and Donald Trump ally, Rodrigo Chaves.
Since taking office, Chaves has been extremely critical of La Nación, accusing them of being “despicable press” and “political assassins”. He also targeted the newspaper financially by withdrawing the sanitation permit for an event space run by the organisation’s parent company.
At the same time, Chaves has become a close ally of the US president. Last month, the Costa Rican leader agreed to receive up to 25 deported migrants a week from the US. Chaves also participated in Trump’s Shield of the Americas summit and closed the Costa Rican embassy in Havana.
Now, the ties between the two governments appear to have led to La Nación’s board members being barred from entering the US.
“This is completely unprecedented,” said Pedro Abreu, the president of the board of La Nación, via email. “We see it as an indirect attack on press freedom because of the effect it can have on an independent media outlet and on those who have the institutional responsibility to protect it.”
Q&A
Why did the US cancel tourist visas for La Nación board members?
The US canceled the visas due to the board members' critical reporting on President Rodrigo Chaves, including allegations of sexual harassment and illegal campaign financing.
What allegations did La Nación report about Rodrigo Chaves?
La Nación reported allegations of sexual harassment against Chaves and illegal campaign financing during his presidential campaign.
How has President Chaves responded to La Nación's reporting?
President Chaves has labeled La Nación as 'despicable press' and has taken financial actions against the newspaper, including withdrawing a sanitation permit for an event space.
What is the significance of Chaves' relationship with the US government?
Chaves' close ties with the US government, including agreements to receive deported migrants, appear to have influenced the decision to cancel the visas for La Nación's board members.
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Abreu said five of the paper’s seven board members had had their visas revoked, while the other two held passports from countries that do not require a visa to enter the US.
Analysts say the move from Washington could have an immediate chilling effect in Costa Rica. “It’s extremely serious,” said Felipe Alpízar, the coordinator of the Observatory of American Politics at the University of Costa Rica. “It’s the United States eroding the foundations of political discussion in Costa Rica, of freedom of expression, of freedom of the press.”
The state department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The members of La Nacion’s board are just the latest in a long list of Costa Ricans targeted by Washington. “This didn’t happen in a vacuum; there’s a persistent pattern,” said Mauricio Herrera, a former Costa Rican communications minister. “There’ve been a number of individuals whose visas have been revoked because they are political opponents or critics of the government.”
The visa restrictions began not long after the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, visited Costa Rica last year and praised Chaves for a decree that effectively barred Chinese companies from Costa Rica’s 5G network rollout.
Laura Fernández shakes hands with Chavez on stage
Chaves, left, will step down later this week and be replaced by his handpicked successor and mentee, Laura Fernández. Photograph: Arnoldo Robert/Getty
Rubio told Chaves: “We’re going to try to work in cooperation with you,. To impose costs on those within the country who use their positions of authority to undermine the interests of the people of Costa Rica.”
Weeks later, opposition members who had criticised Chaves’s decree found their visas revoked.
Herrera said: “My fear is that in the near future they will revoke visas of opposition members of parliament and the rectors of public universities,. I would like to think that this is going to stop, but nothing indicates that it will.”
