Authorities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain and Ireland updated their travel alerts this year, warning their inhabitants of the risks they run if they decide to travel to Nicaragua, pointing out among these the sociopolitical situation that the country has faced for six years, the repression unleashed by the Ortega regime and “crime.”
The Government of Canada, on July 29, updated the travel notice for its citizens, placing Nicaragua as a country where “a high degree of caution must be exercised.”
Related news: Five countries maintain travel alerts for Nicaragua due to “arbitrary application of laws” and “crime”
“Extreme caution is advised in Nicaragua due to its political situation, potential for civil unrest and crime,” reads part of the warning issued by the Canadian government.
The report also notes that “Nicaragua government officials and law enforcement have severely repressed those who criticize or oppose government policies,” and recommends that citizens who are in Nicaragua or decide to travel to the country “refrain from discussing the political situation in public or online, avoid all political activities, and avoid posting information on social media.”
They also mentioned that minor crimes such as “pickpocketing and purse snatching” are common in the country and even point out that “most violent crimes are related to organized crime or have political motivations.”
The United States Government has also been categorical in indicating to its citizens, through its «Travel notice for Nicaragua – Level 3»to reconsider their decision to travel to Nicaragua, pointing out that in the country the laws are applied in an “arbitrary” manner, “there are risks of unjust detention” and “limited availability of medical care.”
Nicaraguan, Cuban and Haitian citizens seeking to migrate to the United States and who have already been approved for humanitarian parole and scheduled travel will be able to travel without problems, despite the “temporary suspension” of the program, clarified the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
On August 2, international media reported that President Joe Biden’s administration had ordered the suspension of the immigration benefit known as “humanitarian parole,” which included citizens of Nicaraguan, Cuban, Venezuelan, and Haitian nationalities.
The immigration program, implemented in April 2022 as a way to contain the avalanche of irregular migrants crossing the borders between Mexico and the United States, was put on hold in mid-July because, according to US authorities, they discovered a series of irregularities that indicate that fraud has been committed with the program, especially with regard to sponsors.
Related news: Why did the United States suspend humanitarian parole? What will happen now? Here we tell you
Given these doubts, the Nicaraguan media outlet Despacho 505 consulted the DHS, which responded that citizens who already have their flights scheduled will be able to travel.
“Yes, you can travel to the United States if you have already been authorized to do so, even though the program has been suspended,” a DHS spokesperson said in response to a query from the media outlet.
Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro has urged his followers to delete the WhatsApp telephone communications application, arguing that the application is being used by the opposition to threaten Chavistas and the military, which has revealed the dictator’s fear of communications that he cannot control.
During a rally outside the presidential palace in Caracas, broadcast live on social media, in which hundreds of young supporters of the Chavista dictatorship gathered, Maduro ordered the “voluntary and progressive” withdrawal of the WhatsApp instant messaging and calling application.
“Today, publicly, on my television show, I am going to break relations with WhatsApp, because WhatsApp is being used to threaten Venezuela. So I am going to delete my WhatsApp from my phone forever,” said the dictator, who is being strongly questioned nationally and internationally for the electoral fraud perpetrated on July 28.
