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Statements by Costa Rican President Laura Fernández that Nicaraguans have “the government they have chosen to have,” and that the situation in Nicaragua “cannot be compared” to Cuba or Venezuela because there is “economic stability,” reflect a continuation of the foreign policy pursued by her predecessor, Rodrigo Chaves, and a commitment to maintaining trade relations, according to analysts.
In an interview with NTN24, Fernandez emphasized that “Nicaragua invests and maintains economic stability” and that her government will continue to maintain a harmonious relationship with the country.
“They (Nicaraguans) have their internal problems and the form of government they have chosen to have. We, on our side, are maintaining a peaceful and harmonious neighborly relationship in every sense,” she stressed.
Carlos Cascante Segura, a professor at the School of International Relations at Costa Rica’s National University, believes Fernandez’s comments indicate that, in pragmatic terms, her administration will seek to “preserve trade relations with Nicaragua,” just as the previous government did.
“In Costa Rica, there is a perception that the departure of (Daniel) Ortega’s regime is not likely to occur in the near future, and that we must try to coexist with that reality,” Cascante Segura emphasized.
Both the Fernandez and Chaves administrations have sought a peaceful coexistence with Nicaragua’s regime in order to address issues along their shared border, such as illegal gold extraction in the Crucitas region.
An Apparent Disconnect from Reality
Carlos Murillo Zamora, an international affairs analyst and professor at the University of Costa Rica, said Fernández’s remarks were “unfortunate” and reflect a certain “lack of understanding of diplomatic relations between governments.” He argues that her administration “lacks a foreign policy in general, and especially toward Nicaragua.”
“These statements by the president are not going to alter trade relations between Nicaragua and Costa Rica, between Managua and San José,” Murillo Zamora warned. “The problem lies in a lack of understanding of the most basic diplomatic protocol that a president of a country like Costa Rica should follow,” he added.
Nicaraguans Did Not Choose a Dictatorship
Fernandez’s comments have been rejected by the Nicaraguan exile community, who emphasize that they did not choose to live under a dictatorship and that economic stability does not imply respect for democratic freedoms.
Attorney Salvador Marenco, of the Nicaragua Never Again Human Rights Collective, stressed that “Nicaraguans live under constant restrictions on human rights” and that elections since 2008 have been “fraudulent.” He added that after 2018, “the human rights violations that had been systematic escalated into crimes against humanity.”
“Nicaraguans have not left Nicaragua because we wanted to abandon our families, our life projects, our jobs, or our homes. We have been forced to leave the country; everything has been taken from us. In exile, we have found a place where we can start over or resume our life projects,” he underscored.
The Jesuit Migrant Service in Costa Rica rejected any attempt to “relativize or legitimize” Nicaragua’s sociopolitical crisis, as well as the authoritarianism of the regime led by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, which continues to drive more people into exile.
“Costa Rica has built its foreign policy on the defense of human rights and international law. Minimizing the Nicaraguan crisis is neither neutrality nor pragmatism. It is a profound contradiction of Costa Rican principles and of the protection expected by Nicaraguan asylum seekers and refugees,” the Jesuit Migrant Service maintained in a statement.
Ten percent of Costa Rica’s Residents Are Foreign-Born not 25%
In the same interview, President Fernandez claimed that “25% of Costa Rica’s population is Nicaraguan,” a figure that contrasts with the most recent National Population and Housing Census conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Census in 2011. The census found that 10% of Costa Rica’s resident population was foreign-born. Only a portion of that percentage is Nicaraguan.
“I do not understand the relevance of mentioning how much of Costa Rica’s population is Nicaraguan or born in Costa Rica to Nicaraguan parents. It is yet another example of the president’s lack of knowledge, and these are completely unfortunate statements,” Murillo Zamora emphasized.
