Castro revealed to the press that the U.S. Department of State notified her of the decision via email, stating that her visa revocation took effect on March 31, following Section 221 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The revocation means Castro is now barred from traveling to the U.S.A. If she needs to visit the U.S., she would have to reapply for a new visa.

The notice was brief and did not explain whether any specific fact on Castro's part may have influenced the U.S. State Department’s decision. However, recently, Castro filed legal appeals supporting the operation of Chinese telecommunications company Huawei in Costa Rica.

Huawei had sought to participate in Costa Rica's 5G network tender but failed to meet the country’s standards under the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, which addresses Internet and cybercrime through unified international laws, strengthens investigative methods and promotes cooperation among the 68 countries that have ratified it.

The PUSC addressed Castro’s situation, stating, “As a party, we share the conviction that every nation has the right to decide who may or may not enter its territory based on its national interests and security criteria. We will always respect this fundamental principle.”


The party added that visa revocations have historically been used to target politicians or figures linked to organized crime, terrorism, or threats to democracy. However, they stressed that “this is not the case with Congresswoman Castro.”

“We trust that the U.S. government has the tools and institutional capacity to determine with certainty who poses a genuine threat to its security and interests,” the party said. “We hope to maintain the ties of friendship and mutual respect that have defined our relationship since we formalized diplomatic relations more than 174 years ago.”

Additionally, Costa Rica has accused hackers, believed to be based in China, of infiltrating the country's telecommunications and technology systems. This followed a cybersecurity diagnosis conducted by U.S. experts in collaboration with Costa Rican authorities.

Castro is the third congressmember to confirm the revocation of their U.S. visa. Recently, Congressman José Francisco Nicolás Alvarado also confirmed that his U.S. visa was canceled.

In February, Congresswomen Johanna Obando and Cinthya Córdoba were also notified of their visa cancellations.

On Tuesday, former President Óscar Arias Sánchez confirmed that the U.S. government had revoked his diplomatic and tourist visas.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has nominated Melinda Hildebrand, a Houston-based businesswoman and philanthropist, as the next U.S. ambassador to Costa Rica. However, no information has been released regarding hearings on her nomination before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.