An upcoming flight route from Caracas to Managua operated by the Venezuelan state-owned Conviasa airline is expected to increase the flow of migrants attempting to reach the United States, as reported by the Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa. Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega has allowed migrants to pass through the country as part of their journey to the US, potentially using this as a bargaining tool for sanctions relief. This new route offers an alternative for migrants to avoid the dangerous Darien Gap jungle trail between Colombia and Panama.
Migrants from various countries, including Haiti, India, and Senegal, have been utilizing Nicaragua as a transit point to reach the United States. Despite the high costs involved for African and Indian migrants on such a long journey, Nicaragua does not require entry visas for most nationalities. The Ortega regime has been criticized for charging migrants $200 to use the country’s airports.
Conviasa will be introducing biweekly flights between Venezuela and Nicaragua, with stopovers in Havana, Cuba. This new route is expected to increase the frequency of flights to Nicaragua, providing a potential pathway for Venezuelan migrants seeking to escape their country’s socialist regime without crossing the Darien Gap. Despite limited international connectivity for Venezuela, Conviasa’s new route will offer increased travel options for migrants.
Efforts to stop the use of international airlines to transport migrants from Nicaragua to the United States have shown little effectiveness, as official data indicates. The influx of migrants passing through Managua’s international airport has continued to rise, with many opting to continue towards the US by land.
In addition to migrants from other countries, Ecuadorian nationals have also been utilizing Nicaragua as a stepping stone to reach the US. El Salvador has imposed a tariff on Indian and African travelers in an attempt to curb the flow of illegal migrants to the United States. The US previously sanctioned Conviasa for facilitating the transport of corrupt regime officials, but some sanctions were lifted as part of a deportation agreement that has since been broken by the Maduro regime.
Overall, Nicaragua’s role as a transit point for migrants en route to the United States continues to evolve, with various nationalities using the country as a gateway.
