Nicaragua: the favorite market for many Cubans to shop

When it comes to visa affordability and travel costs, Nicaragua is becoming one of the most popular places for Cubans to do business. And recently, an international study by the World Economic Forum confirmed that this is indeed the best country in Latin America for these purposes, due to its low rate of organized crime.

In this regard, the analysis examining organized crime as the main obstacle to doing business on the continent places Nicaragua as the best in Latin America, ranking 25th globally, even above first-world nations. This is striking because Nicaragua is located among high-risk nations like El Salvador and Guatemala, and the fact that this country is considered this way speaks to the Sandinista government's zero tolerance for the crime that prevails in that Central American region.

So far this year, more than 5 Cubans have entered Nicaragua, which represents more than 900% more than the same period last year. All of this is linked to the recently opened opportunity of Nicaraguan embassy in Havana, as it provides a visa, with a copy of the passport and photos, for just $30. It's no coincidence that Cubans see this as a less expensive way to buy products in bulk that aren't available in Cuba. Furthermore, due to these easy travel options, this nation has become a springboard for migrants to cross the US border into Mexico.

According to Ana Carolina García, director of tourism promotion and marketing in Nicaragua, visits increased with the launch of the Venezuelan airline's route. Conviasa, with the Havana-Managua-Caracas flight, with three departures per week since December 2018. The cost of tickets is just around $400 for this direct route, while those of Copa Airlines, with a stopover in Panama, are around $500. The official view from the Sandinista government is that Cubans have multiplied their trips, because they seek to see the volcanoes and lakes, although they admit that they are looking to buy electronic equipment at better prices than on the Island.

To travel to Nicaragua, it is no longer necessary since January 2019 to show any type of financial solvency, as is usually required in other destinations such asunes like Panama or Mexico. They also don't require a self-employment card or proof of travel to a third country. The only difference is that you can only stay in the country for 30 days, but the relative cost is becoming much lower, so the increase in Cubans going to Nicaragua to buy groceries is becoming more common. Furthermore, the official government delegation in tourism affairs regularly visits the island to negotiate further arrangements in this vitally important sector.

Surely the Nicaraguan authorities have seen how Cubans doing business in Panama have reported a whopping $10 million in profits to their neighboring country in at least 2018 months of 100. Therefore, Nicaragua has been made more flexible much more guarantees for Cubans to invest in their territory.