Permanent Closure of the Nicaraguan Consulate in Houston
Opponents believe Ortega is punishing migrants
Former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Arturo McFields stated that the closure of the consulate is a “political revenge” against the Nicaraguan community.
HAVANA TIMES – In less than a month, Daniel Ortega’s regime has ordered the permanent closure of two Nicaraguan consulates in the United States, and this time it was the turn of the one in Houston, as reported by the Nicaraguan community.
“The consulate is closed permanently. Please read the note on the door. We apologize for the inconvenience,” indicates the notice placed on the premises.
In response, the released and exiled politician, Juan Sebastián Chamorro, pointed out that “the dictatorship’s measure to close consulates in the US is to have greater control. It would not surprise me if they close them all and leave only one to centralize operations.”
Similarly, the former ambassador of Nicaragua to the Organization of American States (OAS), Arturo McFields, stated that the consulate’s closure is “political revenge” against the Nicaraguan community.
“In record time, they halve consulates. Political revenge and financial crisis. They prioritize resources for new embassies in Asia and Africa. Fewer consulates mean greater control. In a normal country, it is the Foreign Ministry that regulates consulates, but in Nicaragua, it’s state security, the Ministry of the Interior.”
McFields warns that Ortega is “guillotining” half of his consulates, leaving only Miami, New York, and Washington.
“They had consulates in Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Washington, New York, and Miami, six consulates, but apparently now they only have three. According to one of their statements, Nicaraguan residents in the USA have to communicate with the consulates of Miami, New York, and Washington,” he explains.
The closure also includes a reduction in staff, “there are only two people working in the Washington consulate, they have cut staff in many consulates, and they don’t have the capacity to assist our migrants.”
Three possible reasons for the closures
McFields believes there are three underlying reasons. First, he thinks it could be a security reason. “Fewer consulates mean more security, greater control of consular activity, who receives a passport, who doesn’t receive a passport. The dictatorship was failing according to its plans because many Nicaraguans opposed to the dictatorship had received passports. The dictatorship does not have the control they would like to have over so many people who have had to leave in exile or as refugees.”
Now, with the reactivation of the Ministry of the Interior, the regime seeks to control the damage through Commissioner General Luis Cañas Novoa.
“Cañas, who is in charge of granting or denying passports, preventing someone from entering the country, and depriving people of their rights. It’s a security issue.”
Secondly, McFields believes that the measure could respond to an economic issue because consulates stopped renewing passports.
“Now passports are valid for 10 years (…) the point is that there are no renewals, and they lost thousands of dollars. The other point is that the proof of life certificate was free; it no longer had to be paid. It was a kind of validation given by international agreements in consular matters, but there was no longer that payment, so the consulates were becoming an information window; they were an empty shell.”
Although, on the other hand, they are opening embassies in Africa and Asia, “they need money to maintain these embassies; it’s at least $350,000 a year for each of these embassies.”
Thirdly, the former ambassador believes it is a “punishment for opponents, punishing migrants, exiles because the consulate is a safeguard and coverage on migratory issues for those who leave the country or those who have to go to work in another country. They are leaving them exposed. The most affected are the Nicaraguan migrants seeking a better life or those fleeing Ortega’s criminal regime, and those who have been forcibly exiled. This has a harsh impact on the population.”