Noticia

San José, Costa Rica, 06/02/2025 - As part of his first official tour of Central America and the Caribbean, the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, visited Costa Rica with the objective of strengthening bilateral relations and addressing issues of security and economic cooperation. However, his speech focused mainly on the migratory crisis in the region, attributing it to the policies of the governments of Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba.

From the perspective of the European International Human Rights Network (RIDHE), forced migration in Latin America responds to a combination of structural factors, including economic inequalities, violence, political persecution and the collapse of democratic systems, which makes it essential to address restrictive immigration policies in the United States, which have increased the vulnerability of thousands of people on the move.

Costa Rica has historically been a host and transit country for migrant populations, especially Nicaraguans fleeing political repression and economic crisis. Rubio's recent statements, which downplay the role of the United States in the regional migration crisis, raise concerns among human rights experts. The criminalization of migration and the lack of a human rights-based approach exacerbate the conditions of risk and exclusion of migrants and asylum seekers.

For its part, the Nicaraguan government responded to the Secretary of State's statements with a speech that rejects any foreign interference. However, this rejection should not distract attention from the serious human rights situation in the country, where arbitrary arrests, repression against opponents and restrictions on freedom of expression have been documented.

The RIDHE believes that the international community must promote a comprehensive response to the migration crisis, based on the protection of the rights of displaced persons and on the generation of protection and durable and innovative solutions. It also calls on States to avoid xenophobic discourses that politicize migration and instead work for coordinated solutions that address the structural causes of forced displacement in the region.