April 15th, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) The Directorate General of Immigration, along with other state institutions, have uncovered an entire network in Santa Cecilia de la Cruz, Guanacaste, that is responsible for bringing Nicaraguans illegally into Costa Rica for the purpose of labor exploitation on citrus farms.
According to Freddy Montero, Acting Director General of Immigration, the Nicaraguans are hired through four subcontractors who run radio ads in Nicaragua, promising fair pay and work conditions in Costa Rica.
“These people are told that they will earn 3,000 colones per bag of oranges they collect, and also are told that food will be provided. However, when they are brought into the country, these conditions change,” Montero said.
According to Montero, those changes happen immediately after the Nicaraguans are brought into the country, when they are told they will only be paid 1,800 colones per bag and that they must buy their food at a cost of 700 colones per bowl.
Immigration authorities discovered that when the workers are hired, they are moved in cattle trucks to an area called Cardenas in Nicaragua, and then forced to walk for about four hours to reach the border with Costa Rica, where they are brought into the country illegally.
The discovery came after authorities began investigating two citrus farms, Las Palmas and La Gloria, in March.
Montero said they discovered exploitative conditions on the farms, including deplorable hygiene and the presence of minor workers.
“There were bunks of 3×3 meters where 9 workers lived, and another one of 6×6 meters inhabited by 25 people […] with 2 bathrooms for 100 people and long working hours,” Montero said.
Montero said that ordinarily it is believed some 600 people work on the farms, but when alerted of the presence of authorities many of them fled, so authorities were only able to have contact and communicate with 104 workers.