DFA Ready To Repatriate Filipinos From Nicaragua

19 July 2018 – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) today reiterated its offer to repatriate members of the Filipino Community in Nicaragua due to the continuing civil unrest there.

In a statement, the DFA said none of the 86 Filipinos in Nicaragua have so far been affected by the unrest but gave assurances that it is ready to bring them home anytime.

“We would like to assure our kababayan in Nicaragua that we are ready to fly them home anytime,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said in a statement. “In the meantime, we urge them to remain vigilant and to be ready for any eventuality.”

The Secretary said three Filipinos have already availed themselves of the DFA’s voluntary repatriation offer. The three were flown out of Managua on 8 July and arrived in Manila on 10 July.

Secretary Cayetano said the Philippine Embassy in Mexico led by Ambassador Demetrio R. Tuason continues to monitor the situation in Nicaragua since rioting and looting erupted in various parts of the country in April.

Ambassador Tuason had earlier dispatched a team to Managua to assess the situation on the ground. The team, led by Consul Ma. Carmela Teresa Cabrera, met with members of the Filipino Community and assured them of the government’s concern for their safety and well-being.

The crisis in Nicaragua was triggered by the government’s new policies intended to shore up the country’s social security system by reducing benefits and increasing taxes.

Despite the withdrawal of the proposed changes by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, violence in areas outside Managua and in the provinces has significantly escalated. END