QCOSTARICA — Nostalgia and longing for family warmth by the single largest group of foreigners in Costa Rica, mark the end-of-year festivities when hundreds of Nicaraguans embark on their journey from Costa Rica to their homeland.
This flow, added to those looking for tourist destinations for vacations, has caused a significant increase in the demand for cross-border transportation.
This demand has led to buses departing for Nicaragua every 15 minutes, resulting in almost 60 trips per day with the ability to carry up to 3,000 passengers daily.
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“The biggest increase occurred starting on December 15. Many people took advantage of the Festival of Light and, with their Aguinaldo (Christmas bonus) in hand, to make their Christmas purchases. The increase to Nicaragua intensified starting on December 18, with departures every 15 minutes from 3 am to 8 pm,” explained Henry Prescott, manager of the Caribeños bus terminal.
Typical scenes at this time include rows of packed seats and people waiting with suitcases and bags. Demand is such that buses travel with all their seats reserved in advance through the online sales system.
The movement operates in both directions. Prescott said that they expect a massive return by early January. “We already operate 17 buses back from Peñas Blancas to the Central Valley and San José, still maintaining lines at the border.”
“The usual increase starts on January 2 and remains massive for almost eight days. They return in groups: first those who have immediate work commitments, then those who have more flexibility to extend their stay,” he explained.
“It has been a time of high movement since the first days of the month for the very traditional activity. Our company mobilized about 9,000 people this month,” said Oscar Alfaro, president of Transnica.
These movements of people traveling to and from Nicaragua by land do not account for those who illegally cross the border to be with their families during the holidays and then return to Costa Rica in the new year.
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Nor do they include the hundreds who prefer and can afford to fly.
The rise in the number of Nicaraguans visiting their homeland is said to be triggered by a change in Nicaragua’s monetary policy, where as of January 1, 2025, all payments in Nicaragua must be made in the national currency, Córdobas, in accordance with the provisions announced by the Central Bank (BCN).
This provision requires that all payments settled in Nicaragua through credit cards, debit cards, and any other type of cards, physical or electronic, even when they are referred to in foreign currency, such as US dollars, must be made in Córdobas.
The BCN also reported that it decided to set, for the year 2025, the sliding rate of the exchange rate of the Córdoba against the US dollar at 0% per year, so the official exchange rate for the entire coming year will be 36.6243 córdobas per U.S. dollar.
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The Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo the regime’s strategy is to impose the local currency, in an economy where there is increasing confidence in the Córdoba. In past interventions, Laureano Ortega Murillo, son of the dictatorial couple, and advisor for Investments, Trade and International Cooperation of the presidency of Nicaragua, has said that “we are looking for new opportunities to go in the direction of de-dollarization”.
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