As of August 1, Costa Rica will close its consulate in Chinandega indefinitely, as reported on Monday by the Embassy of that country through a statement on its official Facebook page.
The statement details that as of the same date all consular procedures will be carried out at the General Consulate of Costa Rica located in Managua, “which is located 150 meters west of the Seminole Hotel, on the Miguel Obando y Bravo track.”
The Costa Rican government did not clarify the reasons for the closure of the consulate in that department of Nicaragua, it only limited itself to reporting the decision.
On June 17, the Costa Rican Foreign Ministry, chaired by Arnoldo André Tinoco, confirmed that his country will not appoint an ambassador for Nicaragua and that it will maintain a charge d’affaires at its headquarters in Managua.
During a meeting with the Committee on International Relations and Foreign Trade of the Legislative Assembly, the diplomat also explained that the Costa Rican policy regarding the relationship with Nicaragua on the one hand will be “pragmatic”, but that they will not stop defending democracy and human rights.
Related news: Costa Rica will continue without an ambassador in Nicaragua
“If necessary, we will continue to speak out, at the regional level, for the defense of democracy and human rights, respect for freedom of expression, and reiterating our call for the prompt release of political prisoners,” he declared.
The Costa Rican government has not appointed an ambassador since 2018, after the departure of Eduardo Trejos, who resigned to assume the representation of his country before the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI). The diplomatic post has been vacant for four years, due to the socio-political crisis that persists in Nicaragua.
Costa Rica is one of the countries where thousands of Nicaraguans have gone into exile to protect their lives from the wave of repression by the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.
Faced with the migratory wave in Costa Rica, entities that work as defenders of Nicaraguan refugees in that country held a forum in commemoration of World Refugee Day, exposing the situations that citizens who decide to go into exile go through. The organizations demand more support actions for those who arrive in the neighboring country to the south in search of protecting their integrity.
Related news: Young Nicaraguan refugee seekers: “It is an opportunity to work for freedom, justice and democracy”
The Nicaraguan Human Rights Collective Never Again reminded that no one is illegal, regardless of the condition for which they decide to settle in another nation. The NGO assured that they maintain four axes as a shelter priority for victims of state violence and gender violence, people who are victims of human rights violations and those who need protection.
According to the Costa Rican Foreign Ministry, there are some 130,000 requests for refuge, and 500 daily requests in progress. He points out that the material and human resources are insufficient. Support from UNHCR (the United Nations Refugee Agency) and the IOM (International Organization for Migration) is not enough,” he says. .
