Nicaragua has ended visa‑free entry for Cuban citizens effective from Sunday, ending a policy that allowed thousands of Cubans to transit the Central American country in recent years on their journey north to the United States.
The government has also confirmed the decision in a statement.
People familiar with the move said President Daniel Ortega’s administration appeared to be responding to pressure from Washington.
The United States under both the Trump and Biden administrations has accused Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo of allowing Cubans and other nationals to pass freely through Nicaragua and contribute to illegal migration to the U.S.
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U.S. pressure on Managua has intensified in recent weeks following the capture by U.S. special forces of Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, a close ally of Ortega.
In January Nicaragua’s government announced it had freed dozens of people from its national penitentiary system, after the U.S. demanded the release of more than 60 political prisoners in the country.
The move came as Venezuela, also under U.S. pressure, began releasing political prisoners.
Nicaragua is a Central American country bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south, with coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Its capital, Managua, is also the largest city. The country is known for its rich natural landscape, including volcanoes, rainforests, large freshwater lakes, and sandy beaches. Lake Nicaragua is one of the largest lakes in the Americas and is a key geographic feature.
REUTERS