Q COSTARICA — Costa Ricans who have worked for the Chinese Communist Party or who are intentionally acting on behalf of that group could have their visas to the United States restricted, canceled, or denied, the U.S. State Department stated.
The US government announced that it will begin implementing stricter measures in obtaining visas to enter the United States.
In addition to restricting access to those currently collaborating with the Chinese Communist Party, U.S. authorities are also seeking to extend this measure to those who have done so in the past, and it would also affect their family members.
“The United States is committed to countering China’s corrupt influence in Central America and stop its attempts to subvert rule of law … These measures reaffirm President Trump’s commitment to protecting the economic prosperity and national security interests of the United States in our region … We continue to promote accountability for Central American citizens who intentionally collaborate with the Chinese Communist Party in Central America and destabilize our hemisphere,” the statement dated September 4, 2025, said.
According to the State Department, the policy authorises restrictions on individuals in Central America, usually defined as consisting of seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
So far this year, several Costa Rican high-ranking government officials and politicians have lost their visas to the United States.
Among them:
- Johana Obando, independent legislator
- Cynthia Córdoba, independent legislator
- Óscar Arias, former president of Costa Rica (1986-1990 and 2006-2010)
- Rodrigo Arias, current president of Congress and brother of Oscar
- Francisco Nicolás, PLN legislator
- Vanessa Castro, PUSC legislator
- Sofía Machuca, general auditor of the ICE
- Paúl Rueda, magistrate of Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court.
The case in point for the Arias brothers is 2007, during Oscar Arias’s second term as president, Costa Rica broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan to establish them with China.
Chinese ambassador denounced “pressure mechanism”
In May, during an interview with La Nación, the Chinese ambassador to Costa Rica, Wang Xiaoyao, accused the United States government of using visa cancellations as a means of political pressure.
The diplomat stated that the measure is part of the strategic arsenal the U.S. uses to influence the sovereign decisions of other countries.
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