On Sunday, the government of Nicaragua announced a significant change in its immigration policy by instituting a visa requirement for Cuban citizens. This policy adjustment rescinds the previous exemption that enabled Cubans to enter Nicaragua without a visa, a move that effectively eliminates an important transit corridor for Cuban migrants bound for the United States.
Authorities in Nicaragua have officially confirmed to media outlets that the visa exemption for Cuban nationals has been suspended. For years, this allowance facilitated a migration pattern where Cuban migrants would fly into Nicaragua, then connect with human smugglers who guided them through Central America and Mexico toward the U.S. border. Nicaragua's open-border stance for migrants from countries such as Cuba and Haiti has been interpreted by experts as a strategic tactic to leverage migrant movements in geopolitical contests with the United States.
However, this development occurs amid increasing efforts by the U.S. administration to exert influence on Latin American countries to align with its regional policies, especially relating to migration control and security cooperation. Since early 2024, following the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the U.S. government has intensified pressures on adversarial governments, including Cuba and Nicaragua.
In late January, the U.S. threatened the imposition of tariffs on nations supplying oil to Cuba, an action that deepened the island's already severe economic and energy crises. These measures are expected to further exacerbate migration pressures as more Cubans seek to leave under worsening conditions.
Concurrently, the U.S. has enforced stringent immigration policies at its southern border, substantially reducing asylum access and leading to historic lows in overall migration. The new visa requirements adopted by Nicaragua introduce additional obstacles for Cuban migrants who previously relied on this Central American passage toward the U.S.
Alternative routes remain limited, but primarily include travel to Guyana, a smaller South American country that serves as another junction for Cubans seeking to journey to the U.S. From Guyana, migrants often face the treacherous journey through the dense and dangerous Darien Gap region between Colombia and Panama, before continuing northward through the Americas.
In certain circumstances, Cuban migrants with limited options have attempted perilous maritime crossings directly from Cuba to the coast of Florida, navigating hundreds of miles by boat to reach the United States.