IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Nearly Five Thousand Cubans Still Stranded In Costa Rica

Nearly 5k Cubans are stranded in Costa Rica after Nicaragua shut down its borders declining to let them pass through as they make way to the U.S.
Image: Cubans migrants line up to receive food at a temporary shelter in the town of La Cruz near the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua
Cubans migrants line up to receive food at a temporary shelter in the town of La Cruz near the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, November 19, 2015.JUAN CARLOS ULATE / Reuters

Nearly 5,000 Cubans are stranded in Costa Rica after the government of Nicaragua shut down its borders last month as they were attempting to make their way to the United States. Now, Belize is joining the list of countries rejecting the plan that would have allowed Cubans to pass through its territory.

Related Article: Costa Rica: Regional Bloc to Consider Cuban Migrants

The Director of the Latin American and Caribbean Center at Florida International University, Dr. Frank Mora, talked to MSNBC's José Díaz-Balart about the situation. “The question of what you do in the short term with the 5,000 or so Cuban migrants still in Costa Rica is still unclear and I think will remain unresolved until the Central Americans and the Mexicans can get together and agree on a way out of this crisis.”

Mora said that Costa Rica has few options unless its partners and neighbors help find a way to accommodate the migrants. “In terms of the Cuban migrants, they are just waiting to come to the United States,” he added.

Follow NBC News Latino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.