Former Costa Rican President Oscar Arias during a news conference he held on 1 April, Photo: Ezequiel Becerra / AFP
Former Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, has announced that the US has cancelled his visa. This happened a few weeks after his critical remarks about Donald Trump on social media, where he compared the American leader to the “Roman emperor”. This was reported by Reuters.
Arias, who led Costa Rica in 1986-1990 and 2006-2010, is known for his peacekeeping and diplomatic work in the region. In 1987, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end armed conflicts in Central America.
According to the 84-year-old politician, the US decision on his visa did not contain any explanation. “I received an email from the US government informing me that my visa had been cancelled. No reasons were given. We can only guess,” Arias told reporters outside his home.
Criticism of Trump and possible reasons for visa cancellation
In February, Arias accused the current Costa Rican government under Rodrigo Chavez of making concessions to Washington. He stressed that the United States is trying to reduce China’s influence in the region and at the same time is putting pressure on Central American countries, in particular by deporting migrants.
“It has always been difficult for a small country to argue with the US government, especially when it is led by a man who behaves like a Roman emperor, dictating to the world what to do,” Arias wrote on social media.
Earlier, the US cancelled the visas of three Costa Rican parliamentarians who opposed the government’s decision to exclude Chinese companies from developing the country’s 5G network under pressure from Washington. Recently, another opposition lawmaker lost her visa to the United States.
In February, Costa Rica was visited by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who promised to help Chavez “punish” officials who collaborate with “foreign actors that pose a threat to cybersecurity”.
