Editor’s note: The views expressed by guest columnists are not necessarily those of The Costa Rica Star, its advertisers, or its staff

This caravan of illegal immigrants from Central America that Mexico allowed through their southern border a month ago has arrived in Tijuana, Mexico seeking asylum. The standoff has begun. News reports claim this caravan started out with about 1,500 men, women and children — but those numbers appear to have dwindled to several hundred.

President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Department of Homeland Security not to allow any of these people to cross the border to enter the United States of America. The U.S. National Guard Army has been called up to help secure the Mexico-USA border from Texas to California. U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are on high alert for any attempts to cross the border illegally.

Meanwhile, closer to home in Costa Rica, internal political problems in Nicaragua have caused President Daniel Ortega to attack his own people. What began as students in Managua protesting increases in employer and employee contributions to the national pension plan while decreasing benefits has spread throughout Nicaragua resulting in at least 30 deaths as pressure mounts to oust Ortega and his vice presidential wife from office.

News reports from the region say Ortega has responded to the crisis by deploying armed military forces, local media has been shut down, journalists are being assaulted or killed as pro-Ortega demonstrators clash in the streets with the anti-Ortega protesters. Medical personnel say the deaths are the result of Ortega’s military shooting their own citizens.

Serious long standing political problems exist in Nicaragua, but don’t forget the other Central American countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador that are in disarray from on-going corruption, gang violence and drug trafficking. Ortega may close his borders – north and south — to keep his people from fleeing his wrath. No wonder the good people of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador are headed north to escape all the violence plaguing these counties. Two different sets of problems with corruption the common thread connecting them.

Should the Tijuana standoff continue? Absolutely! President Trump sees the handwriting on the wall.

“Despite the Democrat inspired laws on Sanctuary Cities and the Border being so bad and one sided, I have instructed the Secretary of Homeland Security not to let these large caravans of people into our country,” President Trump tweeted on Monday. “It is a disgrace. We are the only country in the world so naïve! WALL.”

Should Ortega be ousted from office? Absolutely! President Ortega does not see the handwriting on the wall. His day to say goodbye has come. Ortega has been a problem for a long time. His reelections – term after term – have been corrupt. He sees Nicaragua as his personal bank account and the people are finally fed up.

Media coverage of the Tijuana situation is primarily focused on the sympathy factor by showing these migrants living and sleeping on the streets with mothers holding their hungry-looking babies and fathers begging for food. But this caravan is a staged event to draw attention to the on-going plight of Central Americans and President Trump’s new immigration policies.

By bus, several hundred migrants arrived late Tuesday in Tijuana, a border town close to California – a sanctuary state — and more are coming. The migrants know they may never get to enter the USA. News reports say Mexico is giving the migrants temporary visas while their situation plays out. But it was Mexico’s government that allowed passage for these migrants and these people are now Mexico’s problem – not the USA.

Why isn’t the Mexican government showing compassion for these migrants and offering them permanent status to stay in Mexico with jobs, housing and benefits? The answer is clearly purely political – to make the Trump administration appear heartless — as President Trump continues on with his plan to erect a controversial border wall to keep illegals and drugs from entering the USA. This situation is far from over for Mexico and these migrants. They are stuck with these people from Central America. Whatever happens to them – good or bad – will be Mexico’s problem or glory – not the USA’s dilemma.

North of Costa Rica, President Ortega is the people of Nicaragua’s problem. If ever a president was begging to be overthrown it’s Ortega. Meanwhile, all of this political upheaval Central America will have far reaching economic effects on Costa Rica and Panama – two politically stable counties that depend on tourist dollars for a robust economy.

There are not too many tourists right now booking hotels in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador or Venezuela in South America. They are all beautiful counties with tremendous potential, but pervasive government and private corruption holds them back as their terrible reputations hurt tourism for all of Central America.

About the Author Britt Nelson relocated to Costa Rica in 2011 from Florida, where he served as news editor for the Palatka Daily News, a newspaper owned by the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group (NYT-RNG) for 20 years.

Nelson served the NYT-RNG for 18 years in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida as a correspondent, reporter, staff writer, senior staff writer training new reporters, copy editor, page designer, editorial writer, editorial page editor and editorial board member.