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Immigration uncovers network responsible for exploiting Nicaraguan workers in Guanacaste

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.

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  • georgechapogas

    understand these workers do that work because their alternative is worse. which is now going to be their reality …..again.
    the way to improve worker’s conditions is worker scarcity which is done by having an atmosphere that makes it easy to hire, fire, negotiate, pay, open businesses, work self employed all those things that happen only when government takes a hike. so instead. we will make it harder for nicas to work in CR, control or slow the flow. reality says they just go underground to worse conditions, grant more “worker rights”, read more unemployment, organize Unions, read more unemployment, add inspectors more govt employees, less actual workers, i.e. more unemployment, etcetcetc.this is how Europe got growth rates that will not sustain their government, this is how the USA has falling incomes, falling workforce participation, and rising social costs. of course, a radical solution of letting people do what they want as long as they hold a bond or ins. that guarantees they pay for any sort of damage they may cause is simply beyond the ability of left wing animal farmers to grasp. CR can do anything they want. it is their country. but they might wish to look around the world and see what already is failing. you can’t help people without economic growth, you cannot guide and control economic growth to fit you heart string desires, you can not use a state run economy without having kazillions in untapped starving people willing to do anything.
    you could however eliminate wage law to force workers and employers to negotiate giving workers the right to leave for better offers. they could allow self employed people private seguro accounts only in their name for them or their heirs building family wealth equity and encouraging self employment making labor more scare and …hey back to the beginning…. better freaking working conditions is caused by labor scarcity! look around your hood. i see lots of work that should be done and maybe would be. particularly if all the labor laws were gone and people could just cut deals between themselves without the winged monkeys of government descending from the muni. “i’ll get you my pretty”. i like were they throw water on the witch and steal her shoes. think of the possibilities.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ken-Morris/100001033121747 Ken Morris

    We need more coverage of these abuses to counteract the emphasis of the US Embassy and others on sex trafficking. That is a miniscule fraction of the human trafficking in Costa Rica, yet invariably where the rhetoric and resources are directed. I’m glad to see that someone is also attending to the bulk of the human trafficking.

    • georgechapogas

      sex trafficking routinely operates in a way that women/children can not walk away. as bad as this is, and i don’t want to minimize that, i see nowhere that it is indicated these people could not walk away.

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