Costa Rican authorities receive a flight carrying people deported from the U.S., all nationals of third countries, under an agreement to accept such deportees, at the Juan Santamaria International Airport, near Alajuela, Costa Rica, on April 11, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves. File.
| Photo Credit: AP

San Jose:

Following in the footsteps of Panama and Guatemala, Costa Rica also announced on Monday it was willing to receive illegal migrants deported from the United States, who are nationals of other countries. The Central American nation’s presidential office said in a statement that 200 migrants from central Asia and India would be arriving in a commercial flight from the US on Wednesday. 

“The Government of Costa Rica agreed to collaborate with the United States in the repatriation of 200 illegal immigrants to their country,” the Costa Rican president’s office said in a statement, adding that “these are people originating from… Central Asia and India.”

Costa Rica’s Plan

The first set of US deportees will reach Costa Rica on Wednesday aboard a commercial flight, whereupon they will be transported to a Temporary Migrant Care Center near the border with Panama. 

The migrants will then be moved to the countries of their origin.

Costa Rica specified that “the process will be completely financed” by the US government under the supervision of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). 

Following Panama and Guatemala’s Footsteps

Costa Rica is the third country in Central America to collaborate on repatriating deported migrants from the United States since President Donald Trump assumed office in Washington on January 20. Panama and Guatemala had previously agreed to a similar arrangement when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited on a recent tour of Latin America. 

Panama received its first repatriation flight with 119 migrants aboard last week, originating from China, Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere, according to Panamanian officials. None have arrived in Guatemala yet.

Latin America is the original home of most of the United States’ estimated 11 million undocumented migrants, according to a report by AFP. Many had made dangerous journeys, braving treacherous terrain, wild animals and criminal gangs for a chance at a better life.

Trump, however, took a hard line against undocumented migrants during last year’s US election campaign, describing some as “monsters” and “animals.” On his first day in office last month, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern US border and vowed to deport “millions and millions” of migrants.

Luis Diaz of Colombia controls the ball during the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 Group D match between Brazil and Colombia at Levi’s Stadium on July 02, 2024 in Santa Clara, California.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images via AFP

Costa Rica scored two early goals to beat Paraguay 2-1 in their final Copa America Group D match on Tuesday but failed to move into the quarter-finals after finishing third following Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Colombia.

Colombia finished as group winners with seven points while Brazil also advanced as runners-up with five. Costa Rica return home with four points while Paraguay exit after three losses.

“This was a very tough group. We were playing against Brazil and Colombia, two of the four favourites to win the Copa,” Costa Rica coach Gustavo Alfaro told reporters.

“We had our strengths, our achievements and our mistakes, but we grew and we’re analysing the performance rather than the results.

“The important thing is that we learn and that this was a very short tournament that we had to seize to the fullest.”

Costa Rica needed results to go their way along with a big swing in goal difference to qualify and they wasted no time getting on the board when skipper Francisco Calvo and Josimar Alcocer made it 2-0 inside seven minutes.

Calvo headed home from the edge of the six-yard box in the third minute while 19-year-old Alcocer powered past several players before pulling the trigger from well outside the box to beat the keeper.

But Paraguay came to life in the second half and Costa Rica’s hopes of qualifying dwindled 10 minutes after the restart when Ramon Sosa scored his first goal for his country.

Costa Rica’s defence could do nothing as Mathias Villasanti dribbled into the box and set up Sosa, who blasted the ball into the top corner past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira.

Costa Rica nearly conceded again from a corner in added time, the ball deflecting off Fabian Balbuena’s head to Angel Romero but his shot failed to make it past the fingertips of Sequeira.

It marked the first time since 1925 that Paraguay had lost all of their group matches.

“It was a bad tournament, a bad performance,” coach Daniel Garnero said.

Speaking about his future, he added: “I am here because the association requested my services and if they don’t want me to continue, that is their decision. I’ll have to discuss that with them.”

Brazil advances

Brazil played out an action-packed 1-1 draw with Colombia in California on Tuesday to set up a mouth-watering Copa America quarter-final against Uruguay.

Colombia, who finished top of Group D on seven points, will face Panama in the last eight.

Daniel Munoz’s first-half strike for Colombia cancelled out an impressive early free kick from Brazil’s Raphinha. The result extended Colombia’s unbeaten streak to 26 matches, though it did mark the end of their 10-match winning run.

Colombia marched into the quarter-finals of the Copa America on Friday with a confident 3-0 victory over Costa Rica in Arizona. Goals from Luis Diaz, Davinson Sanchez and Jhon Cordoba sealed all three points for the Colombians, who are now guaranteed a top-two finish in Group D. Colombia will qualify for the quarter-finals as group winners if they can secure at least a point against Brazil — a 4-1 winner over Paraguay in Friday’s other Copa contest — in their final group game next Tuesday.

The Colombians will head into that game brimming with confidence after extending their unbeaten streak to 25 games at Glendale’s State Farm Stadium on Friday.

Nestor Lorenzo’s well-organised side have not lost since a defeat to Argentina in February 2022, and never looked in danger of changing that Friday.

Liverpool star Diaz opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 31st minute after Costa Rica goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira inexplicably crashed into Cordoba on the edge of the area.

Diaz stepped up to smash an emphatic spot-kick into the top corner.

Colombia almost doubled their tally on 37 minutes, with veteran midfielder James Rodriguez picking out Diaz at the back post.

Diaz poked a cross into the six-yard area but center-back Sanchez just couldn’t get a touch to guide the ball into the net.

Sanchez made no such mistake in the 59th minute, however, as he glanced in Jhon Arias’s cross from the left to make it 2-0.

Cordoba then grabbed Colombia’s third on 62 minutes with the best goal of the game.

An exquisite through ball from Rodriguez split the Costa Rica defence and sent Cordoba racing in on goal, with the 31-year-old whipping a shot across goal into the far corner.

Brazil winner in Vegas

In Las Vegas, the Brazilians — coming off a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica — jumped to a 3-0 halftime edge over Paraguay on the way to victory after squandering a golden chance to open the scoring.

Paraguay’s Adrian Cubas, who would receive a red card in the 81st minute, committed a foul in the penalty area, but Brazil’s Lucas Paqueta missed from the spot in the 31st minute.

But Paqueta delivered an assist to set up Vincius Junior’s goal in the 35th minute that gave Brazil a 1-0 lead.

Savinho doubled Brazil’s lead with a goal in the 43rd minute and Vincius Junior gave Brazil a 3-0 half-time lead in the fifth minute of stoppage time, racing in behind the play and delivering a right-footed shot just inside the left post.

Paraguay answered in the 48th minute on a goal by Omar Alderete but Paqueta scored on a redemption penalty kick in the 65th minute for a 4-1 Brazil lead and that’s how it finished.

Vinicius Junior during Brazil 0-0 Costa Rica in Copa America 2024.© AFP