CASE STUDY: EXILED NICARAGUAN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN COSTA RICA “Human rights defenders are anyone who defends Nicaraguan people and defends their rights.” (Nicaraguan HRD in Costa Rica.) “Here we are all defenders because we do not limit ourselves to defending or demanding my right, but we work for all.” (Nicaraguan HRD in Costa Rica.) under other visa categories such as student, professional, technical, or visiting researcher, as well as a resident category when they can prove ties to Costa Rican ancestry or relatives. The process to obtain legal status in the country is cumbersome and takes a long time, more so with constraints brought by the pandemic. Since being legal also means able to work and stay in the country, the length of time needed for the process is an obstacle to HRDs continuing to work. In interviews and focus groups, Nicaraguan HRDs reported that between the phone call and the first date, the waiting time could be anywhere from a few months to more than two years in extreme cases. As can be seen in Graph 2, eight out of ten Nicaraguan HRDs plan to return home one day, and see the refugee status as the best option to remain in Costa Rica temporarily. GRAPH 1: REASONS FOR NICARAGUAN HRDS EXILE TO COSTA RICA 17 Harrassment and/or Surveillance 12 General context of violence 10 Reasons Warning Other threats 6 Threats to Family Members 6 5 Home/Office Search Arrest Warrant or Arrest 4 Physical Attack 4 0 5 10 Number of Responses 10 @FreedomHouse 15 20