Nicaragua Bars Entry to Another Cuban Dissident

The regime of Daniel Ortega has once again barred entry to Nicaragua, this time denying access to Cuban activist and independent journalist Yoel Acosta Gámez and his wife, Alisanni Lores Furones, as they attempted to travel from Uruguay to the Central American country.

The non-governmental organization (NGO) Cubalex reported the incident on social media, highlighting that Nicaragua’s Migration authorities, closely allied with the regime in Havana, were responsible for the ban.

“The activist informed Cubalex that they had bought tickets three months in advance and were scheduled to fly on Saturday, July 20, at 4 a.m. to Nicaragua, with a stopover in Panama,” the NGO stated.

Acosta Gámez, who has faced pressure from Cuba's State Security to leave the island, received an email just hours before the flight informing him that neither he nor his wife were authorized to travel to Nicaragua.

“According to Acosta Gámez, he confirmed through Migration sources that his name appears on a regulated list by the governments of Cuba and Nicaragua, which is why he was denied entry,” Cubalex noted.

The couple, having sold all their possessions to embark on a journey to the United States, lost the money spent on the tickets. Copa Airlines, the airline they were to fly with, denied any responsibility for the refund, stating that the denial was a direct decision by the Nicaraguan regime.

In a recording sent to Cubalex, the independent journalist condemned the complicity of Ortega's regime with the Cuban dictatorship in blocking the entry of activists, independent journalists, and dissidents as a form of retaliation for their human rights advocacy.

He also warned that their lives were in danger due to threats received after their forced departure from Cuba, including a prohibition on returning under the threat of imprisonment.

Three Similar Cases in the Last Thirty Days

The evidence of complicity between both allied regimes continues to mount. Acosta Gámez’s case is the third publicized incident since mid-June, when two other Cuban activists were barred from entering Nicaragua.

On June 14, Cuban dissident Bárbaro de Céspedes reported that State Security prevented him from leaving the country for Nicaragua, citing an alliance between both governments to repress and hinder the lives of Cuban activists fighting for freedom and human rights.

“State Security has tried to make my life impossible in Cuba, for my family and me. I made the hardest decision of my life, to emigrate from this country that I love and defend. It’s not out of fear of death—I no longer have a life—but to not trouble my family,” the dissident explained.

However, after paying for an expensive multi-stop flight scheduled for June 14, he was not allowed to board. “While on the bus to the airport, I received a message saying that the Nicaraguan government had denied my entry,” he recounted.

Bárbaro de Céspedes was detained for protesting on July 11, 2021, and sentenced to two years in prison for charges of assault, disobedience, and contempt. He was released in February 2024, but State Security has not permitted him to leave Cuba.

Days later, Ortega's regime also denied entry to Cuban dissident Ramón Fuentes Lemes, who was sent back to the island without explanation from Bogotá, where he awaited a flight to Managua.

Fuentes Lemes, who had sold his home to purchase the tickets, told Cubanet that an Avianca airline employee informed him that Nicaraguan authorities had denied his entry.

Hours later, the Isla de la Juventud resident was deported back to Cuba, where he expressed fear for his life. “Cubans have no rights. I don't know what might happen to me. My life is in danger, and I have nowhere to complain. The communists control this country,” he stated.

Fuentes Lemes aimed to cross multiple countries to reach the United States via the so-called "volcano route," a path chosen by thousands of his compatriots since late 2021, following the announcement of visa-free entry to Nicaragua.

“No one will change my mind, I will continue to be free in spirit. Long live human rights! Homeland and Life, and Homeland and Freedom!” declared the dissident, who had failed for the third time to leave the country for good.

Managua and Havana: Allies Using "Migration Weapon" Against the U.S.

Nicaragua has become a strategic point for irregular migration to the United States, facilitating the transit of thousands seeking to avoid the perilous Darién Gap.

Under Daniel Ortega's administration, the country has waived visa requirements for several nationalities, allowing migrants from various parts of the world to fly into Managua and continue their journey north. This has turned into a lucrative business for the Sandinista regime, according to a BBC article titled "Nicaragua's Million-Dollar Business as a Gateway for Irregular Migrants to the U.S."

This policy has led to changes in several regional countries, including Cuba. Following the anti-government protests on July 11, 2021, Ortega supported the Havana regime, an old ally, and abolished the visa requirement for Cubans to ease internal pressure in the country.

Since then, Cuba has experienced its worst migratory exodus, with over half a million people leaving the country.

The BBC article noted that in the past two years, more than 5 million migrants have crossed the U.S. southern border irregularly, many using Nicaragua as a gateway; generating income for the Nicaraguan government through airport taxes, visa fees, and other services.

In 2023, approximately 1,200 private flights were registered to transport migrants to the U.S. southern border from distant countries like India and Kazakhstan, as well as neighboring nations like Cuba and Haiti, the article detailed.

According to the Nicaraguan media outlet Confidencial, between January and October 2023, the government earned about $65.9 million in fees or fines from passing migrants, while in the first three months of 2024, the figure reached $8.4 million.

However, it is believed the benefits for the Nicaraguan government are much higher, as a one-way flight from Cuba to Nicaragua in the past two years has cost around $3,000, and each migrant typically pays between $10,000 and $15,000 for the full route from the origin to the U.S.-Mexico border, the report cited.

Part of these amounts paid to intermediaries or agencies by the hundreds of thousands using the Managua route likely ended up in the hands of the Ortega government and its associates, the BBC indicated.

Analysts suggest that Ortega's regime uses this situation not only to gain economic benefits but also as a political tool to pressure the United States.