Former Costa Rican President and Nobel Peace laureate Oscar Arias has said that the United States revoked his visa without providing a reason. Speaking at a news conference in San José, Arias, 84, said he was informed via a “terse” email from US authorities but was given no justification for the decision.
Arias, who served as Costa Rica’s president twice (1986-1990 and 2006-2010), speculated that the revocation might be linked to his criticism of US President Donald Trump or his previous diplomatic dealings with China.
He said, “I established diplomatic relations with China. That, of course, is known throughout the world,” referring to his 2007 decision to cut ties with Taiwan in favour of Beijing.
His criticism of Trump has been vocal. In February, he accused the US president of behaving like a “Roman emperor, telling the rest of the world what to do,” according to The New York Times. Arias added, “During my governments, Costa Rica never received orders from Washington as if we were a banana republic.”
The US state department has not provided an official explanation. However, according to the New York Times, Arias’ visa was revoked under Section 221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the US government to cancel visas at its discretion. Arias, however, insisted he had “no idea” why this happened, adding, “If someone wants to punish me in the hopes of silencing me, that isn’t going to work.”
The revocation of Arias’ visa comes amid wider scrutiny of foreign nationals under Trump’s administration.
According to the news agency AFP, the US has also cancelled visas for three Costa Rican lawmakers who opposed President Rodrigo Chaves’ move to exclude Chinese firms from developing Costa Rica’s 5G network.
Trump’s administration has been wary of China’s influence in Latin America, supporting President Chaves’ decision while opposing those seen as aligning with Beijing. The revocation also follows a trend of US authorities cancelling visas of individuals perceived as critical of Trump’s policies.
According to the New York Times, the US has denied entry to foreigners who have engaged in protests or held views seen as “hostile” to the country’s government or institutions.
Despite the visa cancellation, Arias remains defiant, stating, “The United States is a paradigm of democracy, or it has been. Today it has characteristics of autocracy,” as reported by AFP. He said he had no immediate plans to visit the US but described the decision as troubling.