Nicaragua closes border to Cuban migrants, rebukes Costa Rica

Nicaragua closes border to Cuban migrants, rebukes Costa Rica
PENAS BLANCAS, NICARAGUA | BY OSWALDO RIVAS

Nicaragua on Sunday closed its border with Costa Rica to hundreds of
Cubans headed for the United States, stoking diplomatic tensions over a
growing wave of migrants making the journey north from the
Communist-ruled island.

Nicaragua's government accused Costa Rica of sparking a "humanitarian
crisis" after its southern neighbor issued transit visas over the
weekend to more than 1,000 Cubans who had been detained at its border
with Panama demanding the right to proceed.

Central America and Mexico have registered a surge in migrants from the
island as the process of detente between Washington and Havana announced
in December stirs fears that long-standing U.S. asylum rights for Cubans
may soon end.

Led by former Marxist guerrilla Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua is a close ally
of Cuba, and his administration complained that Costa Rica's actions had
violated its national sovereignty.

"The Nicaraguan government calls on the international organizations
responsible to deal urgently with this complaint," Rosario Murillo,
government spokeswoman and first lady of Nicaragua, said in a statement.

The Costa Rican government had no immediate comment.

Under arrangements stemming from the Cold War era, Cuban migrants
receive special treatment on reaching the United States. According to
the "wet-foot, dry-foot" policy, Cubans who set foot on U.S. soil can
stay, while those captured at sea are sent back.

Earlier on Sunday, Nicaraguan security forces turned back hundreds of
Cubans who they say had crossed into the country illegally. The security
forces later stood guard as migrants looked on in the hope they could
soon progress.

"We don't want to stay in any of these countries, our aim is to reach
the United States, that's our objective," said 33-year-old Alexei
Cabezas, adding he left Cuba nearly a month ago and was also held up at
the Costa Rica-Panama border.

Another migrant calling himself Damian estimated there were about 2,000
Cubans on the Costa Rican side of the border with Nicaragua.

"Here we are waiting to be granted the safe-conduct that Nicaragua
always gives to Cubans. But, well, today's Sunday, and we don't know if
they're going to work today or not," said 30-year-old Maria del Carmen
Garcia, another migrant.

(Writing by Dave Graham; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Source: Nicaragua closes border to Cuban migrants, rebukes Costa Rica |
Reuters -
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/16/us-nicaragua-cuba-idUSKCN0T502920151116#3Tx7imZMTvvFc0FU.97