Nicaraguan government blocks key pathway used by Cuban migrants to reach United States
Source: AP
Updated 12:42 AM EST, February 9, 2026
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Nicaragua’s government on Sunday blocked Cuban citizens from entering the country without a visa, effectively cutting off a key route for Cuban migration to the United States at a time when the Trump administration has put the Caribbean island in an economic chokehold.
Nicaragua’s government confirmed to The Associated Press that it suspended an exemption that allows Cubans to enter the Central American nation without a visa.
The move would effectively cut off Cubans from a country that has long acted as a bridge for Caribbean migrants traveling to the U.S. For years, Cuban migrants would fly to Nicaragua and meet up with smugglers, who would then help them migrate north through Central America and Mexico to get to the U.S. border.
Experts say Nicaragua kept its doors open to people from countries like Cuba and Haiti in a move to weaponize migrants fleeing turmoil against its longtime adversary, the U.S. But the change comes amid mounting pressure by Trump administration on Latin American nations to fall in line with its vision for the hemisphere, particularly on issues like migration and security.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/cuba-nicaragua-migrants-trump-us-d9bd0c5a56ff4bbb1bf4ba40468992be
= new reply since forum marked as read
