Through a publication on its Twitter account, the United States Embassy in Nicaragua notified that visa applicants for that country will have to comply with the requirement of reporting their usernames on social networks.
The provision was released this Sunday, August 28. The diplomatic headquarters emphasized that only users are requested, therefore, the right to privacy would not be violated.
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“All visa applicants who complete the electronic forms must include social media information. Forms must be filled out honestly and completely to avoid delays. Be careful: no passwords will be requested, only a username,” explained the US Embassy in Managua.
The tweet from the diplomatic representation under Ambassador Kevin Sullivan generated various reactions. Some assume that this measure is to “prevent more Sandinistas from fleeing or taking refuge in the United States.” They warned that the majority of Ortega supporters decide to “close their networks” before applying for an entry permit to that North American country.
Others consider that with the new requirement “privacy is violated”, although some netizens defended the idea, since they believe that social networks are public by nature.
“I think it’s great! The receiving country reserves the right to accept in its territory whoever it deems pertinent for matters of national security, lately many delinquents and criminals are taking refuge in the United States as false persecuted, “wrote the @Tupinic profile.
The United States is the main destination for Nicaraguan exports and remittances. Likewise, it is among the first three countries where most of the country’s migrant population goes.
From January to June 2022, the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) registered 84,055 detentions of Nicaraguans, 358% more than in the same period last year, a record number . Nicaragua ranked third among the countries that send the most migrants to the United States, only surpassed by Guatemala and Honduras.
