Costa Rica Press Freedom Crisis: La Nación Editors Lose U.S. Visas
The United States revoked tourist visas of two members of La Nación’s Junta Directiva on May 2, 2026, days before the Costa Rican presidential transfer to Laura Fernández on May 8.
Board president Pedro Abreu Jiménez and director Carmen Montero Luthmer received no prior explanation from Washington, while the Inter-American Press Society (SIP) called the move without precedent given that no Costa Rican newspaper director has previously lost a US visa.
The affected company has been published continuously for 79 years and also owns El Financiero and La Teja, and the action lands amid a year of US visa revocations targeting public figures who have publicly opposed outgoing president Rodrigo Chaves.
Key Points
— US revoked visas of La Nación board president Pedro Abreu Jiménez and director Carmen Montero Luthmer on May 2.
— First time visas were revoked from directors of a Costa Rican daily; SIP called it without precedent.
— Action lands 6 days before Laura Fernández’s May 8 inauguration; Chaves leaves with 64% approval.
— US Embassy cited Section 222(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and declined to comment.
— Pattern: at least 8 Costa Rican public figures have lost US visas since February 2025, all critics of Chaves.
What Was Revoked and the Editorial Response
The Rio Times, the Latin American financial news outlet, reports that La Nación confirmed the visa revocations Saturday May 2 in an official board statement, followed by a Monday May 5 editorial. The statement recognized US sovereign authority on immigration but called the move without precedent in recent Costa Rican history against an independent generalist newspaper. The Monday editorial went further: “In the absence of explanations, the only possible conclusion is that the purpose has been to punish the editorial line of La Nación and try to break our journalistic autonomy”.
The US Embassy in San José declined to comment, citing Section 222(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which protects the confidentiality of visa records, and referred queries to the State Department, which did not respond by Wednesday. Chaves’s Casa Presidencial also did not respond to media questions about whether the administration had any role in the decision. Outgoing Asamblea Legislativa president Rodrigo Arias, who lost his visa in July 2025, told La Nación at the time that his case showed Chaves had “instrumentalized” the relationship with Washington to punish opposition figures.
SIP and International Reaction
The Inter-American Press Society (SIP) released an official statement Sunday May 4 calling the move without precedent and demanding US transparency. “The inclusion of directors of a media group is particularly sensitive and warrants a detailed explanation”, SIP wrote. International coverage came from CNN, AFP, Reuters, El Tiempo Colombia, El País Uruguay, El Universal Mexico, La Nación Argentina, El Comercio Peru, and Listín Diario, framing the move as a press-freedom escalation.
The Pattern of Visa Revocations Since 2025
The La Nación case is the latest in a sustained 14-month campaign of US visa revocations targeting Costa Rican public figures, all of whom have publicly opposed Chaves. The list includes former independent deputies Johana Obando and Cynthia Córdoba (February 2025), former Liberación Nacional deputy Francisco Nicolás (March 2025), Nobel Peace laureate and former president Óscar Arias Sánchez (April 2025), former Asamblea president Rodrigo Arias (July 2025), Sala Constitucional magistrate Paul Rueda (July 2025), and CR Hoy media-group president Leonel Baruch (October 2025). The auditor general of state utility ICE, Ana Sofía Machuca Flores, also lost her visa.
Costa Rica’s deteriorating press-freedom standing was already a concern. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has flagged a year-on-year decline in Costa Rica’s ranking under Chaves, who has labeled critical media outlets “prensa canalla” (yellow journalism), explicitly including La Nación. Chaves linked Costa Rica to the “Escudo de las Américas”, a 17-country group aligned with Trump on counter-narcotics policy, deepening the bilateral relationship that critics now say is being weaponized for domestic political purposes ahead of the Fernández transition.
| Date | Person Affected |
|---|---|
| February 2025 | Johana Obando (ex-deputy, indep.) |
| February 2025 | Cynthia Córdoba (ex-deputy, indep.) |
| March 2025 | Francisco Nicolás (ex-deputy PLN) |
| April 2025 | Óscar Arias (Nobel laureate, ex-pres.) |
| July 2025 | Rodrigo Arias (ex-Asamblea president) |
| July 2025 | Paul Rueda (Sala Constitucional) |
| October 2025 | Leonel Baruch (CR Hoy president) |
| May 2, 2026 | Pedro Abreu Jiménez, Carmen Montero (La Nación) |
Connected Coverage
For broader context on the Costa Rica transition, see our coverage of Laura Fernández taking office May 8 with Chaves staying on as a super-minister and our analysis of the Lula-Trump White House meeting and US-Latin America policy backdrop.
What Happens Next
- Friday May 8: Laura Fernández inauguration; first opportunity for the new government to address visa pattern.
- Through May: SIP, RSF, and CPJ likely to issue further press-freedom statements.
- Monitor: Whether the State Department issues any official explanation or position on the case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who at La Nación lost their US visa?
The US revoked tourist visas from La Nación Junta Directiva president Pedro Abreu Jiménez and director Carmen Montero Luthmer on May 2, 2026. The newspaper, founded in 1946 and continuously published for 79 years, also owns El Financiero and La Teja, and neither director received any prior explanation from Washington. The US Embassy declined to comment, citing Section 222(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act on visa-record confidentiality.
Why is this called without precedent?
No directors of a Costa Rican generalist independent newspaper had previously lost US visas. The Inter-American Press Society (SIP) issued a statement Sunday May 4 calling the action without precedent and warranting a detailed explanation. International coverage came from CNN, AFP, Reuters, and at least 6 GDA-network newspapers across Latin America, while Reporters Without Borders had already flagged Costa Rica for a year-on-year decline in press freedom under Chaves.
How does this fit a broader pattern?
The La Nación case is the latest in a 14-month series of US visa revocations targeting Costa Rican public figures who have publicly opposed Chaves. Previous targets include Nobel Peace laureate Óscar Arias, ex-Asamblea president Rodrigo Arias, two Sala Constitucional magistrates, three former deputies, and CR Hoy president Leonel Baruch. Outgoing Asamblea president Rodrigo Arias publicly stated his case showed Chaves had “instrumentalized” the relationship with Washington for domestic political punishment.
What does this mean for the Fernández transition?
The visa revocations land 6 days before Laura Fernández takes office on May 8 with Chaves staying on as Minister of Presidencia and Hacienda. Chaves leaves with 64% approval and PPSO holds 31 of 57 Asamblea seats. The first major test for Fernández’s continuismo project will be whether the new administration addresses the visa pattern or maintains the close alignment with Washington that critics say has been used as a political weapon against opposition voices and now the press.
Updated: 2026-05-07T11:30:00Z by Rio Times Editorial Desk