Former Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Has U.S. Visa Revoked
Former Costa Rican President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Oscar Arias announced that his U.S. visa had been revoked, just weeks after he publicly criticized U.S. foreign policy and President Donald Trump’s approach to Central America.
During a press conference in San José, the 84-year-old leader revealed that he received a brief email from U.S. authorities notifying him of the decision, though no official reason was provided.
“I have no idea why this happened,” Arias stated. “The message was short, only a few lines. However, I suspect it might be linked to diplomatic choices made during my presidency.”
Arias, who served two terms as Costa Rica’s president, last held office from 2006 to 2010. His tenure was marked by a major foreign policy shift—cutting ties with Taiwan in favor of recognizing China. The move was widely interpreted as aligning Costa Rica with Beijing’s expanding global influence.
“I made the decision to establish relations with China in the best interest of Costa Rica,” Arias explained. “It was a sovereign choice, not dictated by external pressures.”
The U.S. has recently taken a tougher stance against China’s growing presence in Latin America and has supported Costa Rica’s current leader, Rodrigo Chaves, in blocking Chinese firms from participating in the country’s 5G infrastructure projects.
Arias has been vocal in his opposition to Chaves’s alignment with Washington. In a February statement, he wrote, “It has never been easy for a small nation to challenge the U.S. government, especially when its leader acts like a Roman emperor.”
“During my presidency, Costa Rica was never treated like a banana republic taking orders from Washington,” he added.
Arias, who won the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize for helping end civil wars in Central America, is not the only Costa Rican figure affected by recent U.S. visa revocations. Several lawmakers who opposed Chaves’s policies on 5G technology have also had their visas canceled.
The U.S. State Department has not provided an official explanation for these decisions.
Costa Rica maintains strong diplomatic and economic ties with both the United States and China, but the recent visa cancellations have fueled speculation about geopolitical pressure amid rising global competition.
