Former Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Says US Revoked His Visa

Oscar Arias, the formerpresident of Costa Rica and a Nobel laureate, has revealed that his US visa has been revoked. He stated that the decision came just weeks after he publicly criticized US President Donald Trump, likening Trump’s behavior to that of a Roman emperor.

The 84-year-old, who received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in negotiating an end to conflicts in Central America, said he was not given any explanation for the revocation by US authorities. However, he hinted that it might be linked to his past diplomatic decisions, particularly his approach toward China during his presidency from 2006 to 2010.

During a news conference in San José, Costa Rica’s capital, Arias expressed his confusion over the cancellation. He stated that he had “no idea” why his visa had been revoked and had only received a brief email from the US government informing him of the decision.

“I received a terse email of a few lines,” he said, adding that he believed the decision had come from the US State Department rather than Trump himself.

Although Arias refrained from making definitive claims about the reasoning behind the move, he pointed out that his diplomatic engagement with China during his presidency might have played a role. “I established diplomatic relations with China. That, of course, is known throughout the world,” he told reporters, referring to his 2007 decision to sever ties with Taiwan in favor of China.

The Trump administration had made efforts to counter China’s influence in the Western Hemisphere and had accused several Central American nations of aligning too closely with the Chinese government and businesses. However, it had expressed support for Costa Rica’s current president, Rodrigo Chaves, particularly for his decision to bar Chinese firms from taking part in Costa Rica’s 5G network development.

Despite the US backing of President Chaves, Arias had been critical of what he perceived as an overly close relationship between the Costa Rican government and Washington. In a social media post in February, he voiced concerns over the dynamic between the two countries.

“It has never been easy for a small country to disagree with the US government, less so when its president behaves like a Roman emperor, telling the rest of the world what to do,” Arias wrote.

He also emphasized Costa Rica’s historical independence in foreign policy decisions, stating, “During my governments, Costa Rica never received orders from Washington as if we were a banana republic.”

Arias is not the only Costa Rican official to have had his US visa revoked. Three members of the country’s national assembly, who had opposed President Chaves’s decision to exclude Chinese companies from Costa Rica’s 5G development, have also had their visas canceled.