Nicaraguan Exodus
From Costa Rica Begins
This Weekend
Next week is Christmas
and and estimated 70.000
Nicaraguans living and
working in Costa Rica
are expected to make the
trip to the homeland for
the holidays.
Nicaraguan ambassador to
Costa Rica, Harold
Rivas, says that is the
number his officials are
estimating will cross
the land border crossing
at Peñas Blancas
beginning this weekend.
The estimate is based on
the number of people
lined at the Nicaraguan
embassy in San Jose
requesting a temporary
passport and registering
children born in Costa
Rica so that they obtain
documents to travel from
Costa Rica.
Rivas added that in line
with the thousands of
Nicaraguans are also
Costa Ricans and other
nationals who are
looking to travel with
the Nicaraguan spouse or
significant other to
celebrate the Christmas
and New Year's holiday
north.
"We are attending some
1.200 persons daily for
visas and passports",
said Rivas.
All Nicaraguans
travelling to their
homeland must obtain a
travel document,
according to Rivas, who
confirmed that the
embassy has been
processing requests
since November.
Nicaragua has several
consulates in Costa
Rica. In addition to the
embassy and consulate in
San José, Nicaraguan
nationals can go to
consulates located in
Liberia, in the province
of Guanacaste and Ciudad
Quesada (San Carlos) and
Los Chiles in the
province of Alajuela.
Rivas rejected that more
Nicaraguans enter Costa
Rica in January that
those left in December.
The Nicaraguan
ambassador rejects the
idea that Nicaraguans
leave their country
following the holidays
to look for a better
economic situation in
Costa Rica.
However, the reality is
different, as Costa
Rican immigration
officials see the large
number of Nicaraguans
enter Costa Rica in
January, usually more
than those leaving in
December, many coming
with relatives and
friends who have been
living and working in
Costa Rica, seeking
employment opportunities
in domestic work for the
women and construction
for the men.
The exodus begins this
Friday and Saturday, as
bus operators with
direct travel to
Nicaragua being sold out
beginning this weekend
and well into the first
week in January.
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