an indirect attack on press freedom because of the effect it can have
In a small Central American democracy long regarded as a model of press freedom, the United States has revoked travel visas for five board members of Costa Rica's most prominent newspaper — not for any crime, but for the institutional act of publishing inconvenient truths about a sitting president. The move follows a deepening alliance between Rodrigo Chaves and the Trump administration, raising a question that echoes across democracies: when powerful governments coordinate to silence scrutiny, who remains to hold the line?
- Five of seven board members at La Nación lost US tourist visas in what critics call direct retaliation for the paper's years of investigative reporting on President Chaves.
- The revocations are not isolated — Nobel Peace Prize winner Óscar Arias and his brother, a legislative leader, are among opposition figures already barred from US entry.
- The pattern accelerated after Secretary of State Rubio visited Costa Rica and publicly pledged to 'impose costs' on those undermining what he framed as the people's interests — a warning that swiftly preceded visa cancellations for Chaves's critics.
- La Nación's board president calls the move an indirect assault on press freedom, while academics warn it is eroding the very foundations of political discourse in Costa Rica.
- With Chaves stepping down and his chosen successor taking power, analysts fear the pressure on independent institutions will deepen rather than relent.
The US State Department has cancelled tourist visas for five of the seven board members of La Nación, Costa Rica's leading newspaper — a move widely interpreted as retaliation for the paper's critical coverage of President Rodrigo Chaves. Over years of reporting, La Nación documented allegations of sexual harassment against Chaves during his 2022 campaign, coverage that contributed to his departure from the World Bank. The paper also investigated claims of illegal campaign financing. Chaves, now president, has called the outlet 'despicable press' and 'political assassins,' and moved against it financially by revoking a permit tied to its parent company.
What appears to have unlocked US cooperation in this pressure campaign is Chaves's close alignment with the Trump administration. He agreed to accept deported migrants, joined Trump's regional security summit, and closed Costa Rica's Havana embassy. When Secretary of State Rubio visited last year, he praised Chaves and pledged to 'impose costs' on those undermining Costa Rican interests — and within weeks, opposition figures who had criticized a Chaves decree on Chinese 5G companies found their visas cancelled.
The board's president, Pedro Abreu, described the visa revocations as 'completely unprecedented' and an indirect attack on press freedom. The two remaining board members kept their access only because their passports qualify for visa-waiver entry. The list of those barred from the US now includes Óscar Arias, twice Costa Rica's president and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, along with his brother, who leads the legislative assembly.
Academics warn the consequences reach beyond travel inconvenience. Felipe Alpízar of the University of Costa Rica called it 'the United States eroding the foundations of political discussion' in the country. With Chaves set to hand power to his chosen successor this week, observers fear the targeting of opposition voices and independent institutions is not ending — it is only beginning.
The US State Department has revoked tourist visas for five of the seven board members of La Nación, Costa Rica's most prominent newspaper. The timing is not coincidental. La Nación spent years documenting allegations of sexual harassment against Rodrigo Chaves during his 2022 presidential campaign—reporting that ultimately forced him out of his position at the World Bank. The paper also investigated claims of illegal campaign financing in Chaves's bid for the presidency, which he denied. Now president, Chaves has made his displeasure with the newspaper unmistakable, calling it "despicable press" and "political assassins." He has also moved against the outlet financially, revoking a sanitation permit for an event space operated by the paper's parent company.
What has changed in recent months is Chaves's alignment with Washington. He has become a close ally of Donald Trump, agreeing to accept up to 25 deported migrants per week from the United States and participating in Trump's Shield of the Americas summit. He also closed Costa Rica's embassy in Havana. These moves appear to have cemented a relationship between the two governments—one that now extends to targeting the newspaper's leadership.
Pedro Abreu, president of La Nación's board, described the visa cancellations as "completely unprecedented" and characterized them as "an indirect attack on press freedom because of the effect it can have on an independent media outlet and on those who have the institutional responsibility to protect it." The two remaining board members retained their US travel access only because their passports come from countries with visa-waiver agreements with the United States.
The pattern did not emerge in isolation. Mauricio Herrera, a former Costa Rican communications minister, points to a broader campaign of visa revocations targeting political opponents and critics of Chaves's government. Among those barred from entering the US are Óscar Arias, who served twice as Costa Rica's president and won the Nobel Peace Prize, along with his brother Rodrigo, who leads the legislative assembly and sits on the supreme court. These restrictions began accelerating after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Costa Rica last year and praised Chaves for a decree effectively blocking Chinese companies from the country's 5G network expansion. Rubio told Chaves the US would "work in cooperation with you" and "impose costs on those within the country who use their positions of authority to undermine the interests of the people of Costa Rica." Within weeks, opposition figures who had criticized that same decree found their visas cancelled.
Felipe Alpízar, coordinator of the Observatory of American Politics at the University of Costa Rica, called the move against La Nación's board "extremely serious," describing it as "the United States eroding the foundations of political discussion in Costa Rica, of freedom of expression, of freedom of the press." The State Department has not responded to requests for comment on the visa cancellations.
Chaves is set to step down this week, replaced by Laura Fernández, his chosen successor. Analysts worry the pressure on opposition voices and independent institutions will intensify under her administration. Herrera expressed deep concern about what comes next: "My fear is that in the near future they will revoke visas of opposition members of parliament and the rectors of public universities. I would like to think that this is going to stop, but nothing indicates that it will."
Notable Quotes
This is completely unprecedented. We see it as an indirect attack on press freedom because of the effect it can have on an independent media outlet.— Pedro Abreu, president of La Nación's board
It's the United States eroding the foundations of political discussion in Costa Rica, of freedom of expression, of freedom of the press.— Felipe Alpízar, Observatory of American Politics at the University of Costa Rica
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why would the US State Department target newspaper board members specifically? They're not elected officials.
Because they control the institution that published the reporting Chaves wanted suppressed. It's not about punishing individuals—it's about signaling to the institution itself that there's a cost to independence.
But visa revocations seem like an odd tool for that. Why not just deny them visas outright, or deny them for stated reasons?
That's the point. There's no stated reason. It's deniable. The State Department doesn't have to explain itself, and Chaves doesn't have to ask for it. The message is clear to everyone in Costa Rica without anyone having to say it out loud.
You mentioned this is part of a pattern. How far back does it go?
It accelerated after Rubio's visit last year, when he essentially told Chaves the US would support him against domestic critics. But the real shift happened when Chaves aligned himself with Trump—the deported migrants agreement, the embassy closure in Havana. That's when the US started using its visa power as a political tool.
What happens to La Nación now? Do they stop reporting on Chaves?
That's the chilling effect everyone's worried about. The board members can't travel to the US. The newspaper's parent company already lost a permit. The message is: keep criticizing, and there will be more consequences. Some outlets might self-censor. Others might not, but they'll do it knowing the cost.