Nicaragua reimposes mandatory visa for Cubans starting February 8, 2026, and immediately closes the main route for illegal immigration to the United States
The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo has taken a drastic turn in its migration policy by eliminating the visa-free entry benefit for Cuban citizens holding ordinary passports.
Provision No. 001-2026, issued by the Ministry of the Interior and signed by the Director General of Migration and Foreign Affairs, Commissioner General Juan Emilio Rivas, changes the migration category for Cubans from “A” (visa-exempt) to “C” (visa required, at no cost).
The measure takes immediate effect this Sunday, February 8, 2026, reversing the exemption that had been in place since November 2021.
This route had become the main corridor for illegal migration from Cuba to the United States.
SEE:
Thousands of Cubans were flying directly to Managua, where they entered without restrictions, and from there continued overland through Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico until reaching the U.S. southern border, seeking asylum or crossing irregularly.
The 2021 opening facilitated a massive flow that, according to reports from U.S. authorities and independent organizations, allowed hundreds of thousands of people to leave in search of escape from the economic crisis, shortages, and repression on the island.
Regular flights and transport networks benefited from this transit, generating income that many analysts directly link to the Sandinista regime.
The official announcement does not explain the reasons, but it comes amid growing diplomatic pressure from Washington.
SEE:
The administration of President Donald Trump has hardened its stance against regimes like Ortega’s, accusing it of facilitating illegal migrant trafficking and demanding transparency, the release of political prisoners, and an end to practices that promote uncontrolled migration.
Journalistic and diplomatic sources agree that this decision represents a forced adjustment to ease tensions and avoid further sanctions, although the regime maintains its rhetoric of sovereignty.
The consequences for Cuban families are immediate and painful.
Many had invested their last resources—sale of property, family loans, accumulated savings—into tickets to Managua and the subsequent journey.
Now, the requirement of a consulted visa introduces delays, electronic procedures, and greater scrutiny, which may result in rejections or additional monitoring by Cuban authorities.
Although announced at no cost, the process breaks the automatic entry that made the route viable and leaves those planning to travel in the coming days in uncertainty.
From the perspective of order and law, this measure reinforces each nation’s sovereign right to control its borders and ends an anomaly that encouraged mass irregular migration, human trafficking, and regional insecurity.
The Hispanic-American left, which for years applauded “solidarity” among dictatorships while their peoples suffered hunger and repression, once again demonstrates its failure by ignoring the facts: open-border policies without control do not bring freedom or prosperity, only chaos, exploitation, and greater vulnerability for families seeking a dignified future.
Respect for the law, public safety, individual responsibility, and family traditions must prevail over ideologies that, under the guise of brotherhood, perpetuate misery and dependence.
READ MORE:
About The Author
