The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo ordered this Sunday the cancellation of the visa-free benefit for Cuban citizens entering Nicaragua with ordinary passports, a measure that has been in effect since November 2021, according to a directive from the Ministry of the Interior accessed by La Prensa.
According to the cited document, starting this Sunday, February 8, Cuban citizens with ordinary passports will change their migration category from "A" (visa-exempt) to "C" (consulted visas at no cost).
The order is included in disposition 001-2026, which —according to the report— has not been published in La Gaceta and was signed by the general commissioner Juan Emilio Rivas, director general of the General Directorate of Migration and Foreign Affairs of the Ministry of the Interior.
The Press frames the change within a context of strong tensions between Nicaragua and the United States Government, which —according to the text— has demanded the release of political prisoners and has accused the regime of promoting irregular migration.
The report adds that since 2024, the United States has imposed sanctions on air transportation companies, charter flights, and entrepreneurs accused of facilitating irregular migration, considering that Nicaragua is being used by migrants to reach U.S. territory irregularly.
It also indicates that in January of last year a visa restriction policy was announced, and that in November of last year sanctions were imposed on Nicaraguans accused of facilitating illegal migration, including the revocation of visas and other restrictions.
According to the leaked provision cited by the media, Migration and Foreign Affairs specified that the changes will be communicated to the Cuban consular representation in Nicaragua and to the consular offices of Nicaragua abroad.
Additionally, the communication will be forwarded to the National Institute of Civil Aviation to inform air transport companies about its application, as well as to land and maritime transport companies in Nicaragua.
In November 2021, the Ortega regime surprised many by announcing the establishment of the visa-free policy for Cuban citizens, a measure presented as "humanitarian" and aimed at promoting tourism, family ties, and commercial exchange between the two countries.
From that moment on, Cubans could enter Nicaragua without needing to justify the reason for their trip or pay consular fees, which transformed the Central American country into one of the most utilized migration routes to reach the United States.
A few days before the announcement, reports began to emerge about the high demand for flights from Havana to Managua, with hundreds of people searching for tickets at travel agencies and airlines like Conviasa and Copa Airlines.
Prices skyrocketed, and many Cubans went into debt or sold possessions to take advantage of the opportunity to leave the country amidst the growing economic crisis.
In 2023, migration flows reached record levels. In August of that year, long lines formed outside travel agencies on the island to buy tickets to Nicaragua, fueled by the hope of reaching the southern border of the United States.
Despite the warnings from the U.S. government about the dangers of irregular crossing through Central America, thousands of Cubans continued to leave.
The phenomenon became a symbol of social desperation: a nurse in Holguín offered to exchange two houses for two tickets to Nicaragua, reflecting the extent of the exodus and the declining value of material possessions in the face of the desire to emigrate.
Finally, that avenue of escape has come to an end. The decision was made in a context of international pressures and U.S. sanctions for using Nicaragua as a corridor for irregular migrants.
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