President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, stated during a public act that he would be formally asking Costa Rica “for a list of those requesting refuge or asylum in Costa Rica” so that he could go through and identify all those that are related to crimes in Nicaragua.

“We will tell them, ‘from this list these are the ones that are accused of crimes, because they tortured, because they killed, because they destroyed’ (during the protests in the country) we will tell them with all clarity, and if they want to let them stay in Costa Rica, then let them keep them in Costa Rica”, said President Ortega.

According to Ortega between April and June some 26,000 people have fled from Nicaragua to Costa Rica; he assured that those that have not committed any crimes can return to Nicaragua and no one will arrest them.

In reference to Ortega’s statements, Raquel Vargas, Director of Migration in Costa Rica said that the country cannot provide this information to any country, “this information is entirely confidential, we have access to databases, Interpol, for example, that allow us to do background checks on all people entering the country and those requesting asylum”, affirmed Vargas.

Lorena Aguilar, Vice-Chancellor, commented “Offering confidential or sensitive information about these people would attempt against international laws related to human rights and the rights of refugees. It has nothing to do with them coming from one country or another, it’s a condition for all those people that seek asylum and for every country that has signed international agreements in the matter”.

President Carlos Alvarado said “Costa Rica will not change its position when it comes to the respect of human rights and orderly, safe and registered transit of immigrants, which is what corresponds to a democratic country that believes in human rights”.