U.S. Revokes Tourist Visas of Board Members of Costa Rica's Largest Newspaper

The U.S. State Department has revoked the tourist visas of more than half of the board members of La Nación, Costa Rica's leading newspaper that has been a vocal critic of President Rodrigo Chaves, an ally of Donald Trump.

During Chaves's 2022 presidential campaign, La Nación published numerous articles detailing sexual harassment allegations against him, which led to his departure from the World Bank. The newspaper also reported on allegations of illegal campaign financing, which Chaves denies.

Since taking office, Chaves has been sharply critical of La Nación, calling it “scumbag journalism” and “political assassins.” He has also targeted the newspaper’s finances by revoking a health permit for an event space operated by the newspaper's parent company.

At the same time, Chaves has become a close ally of the U.S. President. Last month, the Costa Rican leader agreed to accept up to 25 deported migrants per week from the United States. He also attended Trump's Shield of the Americas summit and closed Costa Rica's embassy in Havana.

Now, the relationship between the two governments appears to have led to La Nación board members being barred from entering the United States.

“This is completely unprecedented,” said Pedro Abreu, chairman of La Nación's board, via email. “We consider this an indirect attack on press freedom because of its impact on an independent media outlet and those with institutional responsibility to protect it.”

Abreu said that five of the newspaper's seven board members had their visas revoked, while the remaining two hold passports from countries that do not require visas to enter the United States.

Analysts say the move from Washington could have an immediate weakening effect in Costa Rica. “This is extremely serious,” said Felipe Alpízar, coordinator of the Observatory of the Americas at the University of Costa Rica. “It is the United States eroding the foundations of political debate in Costa Rica, of free speech, of press freedom.”

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The La Nación board members are just the latest in a long list of Costa Ricans targeted by Washington. “This does not happen in a vacuum; there is a persistent pattern,” said Mauricio Herrera, a former Costa Rican communications minister. “Several individuals have had their visas revoked because they were political opponents or government critics.”

Among them is Óscar Arias, twice president of Costa Rica and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Washington also banned his brother Rodrigo, president of the Legislative Assembly, and a Supreme Court judge.

The visa restrictions began shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Costa Rica last year and praised Chaves for an executive order barring Chinese companies from participating in Costa Rica's 5G network deployment. Rubio told Chaves: “We will try to work with you … to impose costs on those within the country who use their positions of power to undermine the interests of the Costa Rican people.” A few weeks later, opposition members who criticized Chaves's decree had their visas revoked.

Chaves is set to leave office at the end of this week and be replaced by his chosen successor, Laura Fernández. Analysts fear that attacks on the opposition will intensify under her tenure. Herrera said: “I am concerned that in the near future, they will revoke the visas of opposition lawmakers and public university rectors … I'd like to think this will stop, but there is no sign of it.”