(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Most people in Costa Rica reject the notion of opening the border with Nicaragua in order to allow for the free traffic of citizens between the two Central American countries, according to a poll by CID-Gallup. 81 per cent of respondents do not want border officials to stop requesting a passport and a visa on either side.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Most people in Costa Rica reject the notion of opening the border with Nicaragua in order to allow for the free traffic of citizens between the two Central American countries, according to a poll by CID-Gallup. 81 per cent of respondents do not want border officials to stop requesting a passport and a visa on either side.
Diplomatic ties between Nicaragua and Costa Rica have been strained since 1997 over a dispute related to the use of the San Juan River. Costa Rica currently hosts thousands of Nicaraguan migrant workers, many of whom have entered the country illegally.
In March, the two countries signed a series of accords to improve bilateral relations and issued a joint statement, vowing to "work together in topics such as migration, employment and security." Besides strengthening the tourism industry, representatives of both nations agreed on terms for granting tourist visas to each other’s citizens.
Costa Rican president Óscar Arias also promised to work with Nicaraguan counterpart Daniel Ortega to regulate the status of migrant workers, saying, "For us, counting with thousands of Nicaraguans, men and women of all ages, working for my country, is really important for our economy."
Polling Data
Do you agree or disagree with allowing for the free traffic of Nicaraguans to Costa Rica and Costa Ricans to Nicaragua? This means that a visa or passport would not be required to go from one country to the other.
|
Agree |
17% |
|
Disagree |
81% |
|
Not sure |
2% |
Source: CID-Gallup
Methodology: Interviews with 1,200 Costa Rican adults, conducted from Oct. 18 to Oct. 25, 2008. Margin of error is 2.8 per cent.
