On Thursday, Costa Rican President Laura Fernandez dismissed Foreign Minister Manuel Tovar after he attended a meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Shield of the Americas, without authorization or prior notice.
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According to the Costa Rican Presidency, Tovar’s actions were deemed inappropriate because they prevented Fernandez from participating in a strategic session convened by the United States.
The government maintained that this omission had significant political consequences for the country’s national interests. The Shield of the Americas meeting was convened by the U.S. Secretary of State and was attended by Trump.
The forum aims to coordinate regional security policies in the face of shared “criminal threats.” The Costa Rican government defined the Shield of the Americas as a political and strategic space designed to strengthen cooperation against drug trafficking and transnational organized crime.
While the meeting was taking place, Fernandez was in Barranquilla, meeting with Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella to strengthen bilateral cooperation against criminal organizations. The meeting aimed to consolidate joint actions against drug trafficking and insecurity.
Following Tovar’s dismissal, the Costa Rican president appointed Indiana Trejos, Minister of Foreign Trade, as interim foreign minister until the administration takes a final decision.
Tovar’s departure occurred while he was leading the Costa Rican delegation to the United Nations (UN) during the General Assembly. He previously served as Minister of Foreign Trade under former Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves.
teleSUR: JP
Source: EFE
