US State Department cancels La Nación board members' tourist visas
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 6
US State Department cancels La Nación board members' tourist visas
10 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 6
Five of seven directors at Costa Rica's leading newspaper lost US entry rights, board president Pedro Abreu said, calling the move unprecedented and an indirect attack on press freedom.
Analysts said the action could chill political debate in Costa Rica, where President Rodrigo Chaves has repeatedly attacked La Nación and strengthened ties with Donald Trump's administration.
The revocations fit a wider pattern affecting Chaves critics, including Óscar Arias and other officials, after Marco Rubio praised Costa Rica's exclusion of Chinese firms from its 5G rollout.
Could the US visa cancellations for Costa Rican journalists set a precedent for using immigration policy to influence foreign media and political opposition?
How might Costa Rica's new administration balance US strategic demands with growing concerns about press freedom and democratic backsliding?
Five La Nación Board Members’ U.S. Visas Revoked Amid Political Retaliation and Press Freedom Decline
Overview
On May 5, 2026, the U.S. State Department revoked the tourist visas of five board members of Costa Rica's leading newspaper, La Nación, without explanation, citing confidentiality laws. This action followed La Nación's critical investigations into President Rodrigo Chaves, who had openly denounced the paper and taken punitive measures against it. The visa cancellations are part of a broader pattern targeting government critics, including opposition lawmakers and a former president, reflecting close U.S.-Costa Rica cooperation on migration and security. These events sparked strong protests from press freedom groups and contributed to a documented decline in Costa Rica's press freedom, highlighting growing hostility toward independent journalism and raising concerns about political retaliation enabled by opaque visa policies.