The leftist leader, who rose to prominence in the late Cold War with his Sandinista revolutionaries, had reclaimed the presidency three years before.Ĭanal 8 was long known for scrutinizing administrations both left and right. The seller died of cancer soon after.īut a familiar face soon took charge at Canal 8: the son of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. Details of the deal – the identity of the buyer, the purchase price, an exact date for the transaction – remained secret. _ĪP writer Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed to this report.MANAGUA–In early 2010, Nicaragua’s Canal 8, an independent television network, had a new owner. “That has implications because the profile of those entering Costa Rica recently are humans rights activists, defenders, professionals, people who are going to see their initiatives limited,” Fonseca said. Karina Fonseca, national director of the Jesuit Service for Migrants, said “one of the most complicated measures is not being able to leave the country while your case is being processed.” The uncertainty extends to organizations supporting asylum seekers. “I’m going to wait to see what happens with all of this.” “I asked for asylum to have stability, but honestly with these changes you don’t know what’s coming and if it’s better to drop the case or not,” said María López, a 35-year-old Nicaraguan. The changes have left asylum seekers in Costa Rica unsure about the way forward. Outside the capital, many Nicaraguans have chosen to stay closer to their homeland in northern Costa Rica, where they try to scratch out a living in agriculture. A large informal settlement in San Jose has been around for decades and is essentially a Nicaraguan neighborhood. In the case of Nicaraguans, who have a long history of seeking safety in Costa Rica dating to Nicaragua’s revolution in the late 1970s and the Cold War’s Contra conflict in the 1980s, they are largely absorbed by an existing diaspora. The UNHCR in Costa Rica said it is reviewing the changes, and “advocates for using internationally recognized procedures so that the proper authority evaluates case by case and makes fair decisions, following due process and in full adherence to international standards and the human rights of asylum seekers.” Those crossing another country to reach Costa Rica must justify why they did not seek asylum in that other nation. Access to legal employment can be critical to being able to wait out the lengthy asylum process.Īsylum seekers must now apply within a month of entering Costa Rica, and can’t leave until their case is resolved, otherwise their applications will be cancelled. Under Chaves’ reforms, asylum seekers must enroll in the social security system and no longer receive an expedited work permit, which had been essentially automatic. Advocates believe the lengthening wait for asylum in Costa Rica and less favorable job prospects were responsible. This, of course, would also likely make them ineligible for asylum in other countries, including the United States.Įven before Chaves decreed the changes, there was evidence that more Nicaraguans were opting to migrate toward the United States than had previously been seen. They would be eligible for a two-year work permit in exchange for dropping their asylum cases, if they weren’t really in danger. Now there are more than 220,000 pending applications to resolve.Īiming to unclog the system, the government has also created a special immigration category for people from Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela - nationals who make up 96% of the asylum seekers. And through September of this year, it was already more than 67,000. In 2018, that number reached nearly 28,000. In 2012, Costa Rica received barely 900 asylum applications. Arrests have continued this year, targeting critical nongovernmental organizations, press outlets and clergy. Ortega coasted to a fourth consecutive term after potential challengers were locked up. The arrival of Nicaraguans accelerated last year as President Daniel Ortega’s government cracked down on political opponents ahead of national elections.
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