Costa Rica fires foreign minister after unapproved Trump-backed security summit meeting
Costa Rica has dismissed Foreign Minister Manuel Tovar after he attended a regional security summit in New York without informing President Laura Fernandez. The meeting was linked to the Trump-backed Shield of the Americas coalition and took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The government said the omission prevented Fernandez from attending and caused serious harm to Costa Rica's interests.
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Fernandez said she should have represented the country at the gathering, which focused on drug trafficking and organised crime across the region. According to the government, Tovar attended without prior notice or approval. The summit brought together several right-wing Latin American presidents, and 15 coalition members later issued a joint statement outlining plans to impose asset freezes and visa restrictions and to seek criminal liability for members and supporters of 24 criminal organisations.
The dismissal comes as the Trump administration intensifies its regional campaign against cartels. Since returning to office last year, Trump has designated cartels as foreign terrorist organisations and ordered dozens of strikes on boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific that US officials say were carrying narcotics bound for the United States. The New York meeting was presented as part of a broader effort to rally governments behind a tougher approach to organised crime.
For Costa Rica, the episode lands at a sensitive moment. The country has long been viewed as one of Latin America's more stable democracies and a major tourist destination, but it is also facing a rise in drug-related violence. That domestic pressure gives added weight to decisions over who represents the government in international security forums and how closely San Jose aligns itself with Washington-led initiatives.
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Tovar did not comment directly on his removal, but thanked Fernandez for including him in her cabinet. Fernandez has been in power since last May, and the government has named Indiana Trejos, the current minister of foreign trade, as acting foreign minister. Trejos is expected to take up the role when she returns from her mission at the UN General Assembly.
It remains unclear whether Costa Rica will continue to engage with the Shield of the Americas coalition at the same level after the dismissal. The immediate question is whether the government will seek to repair any diplomatic damage while also addressing the security concerns that made the New York summit politically significant. Further details may emerge on the extent of Costa Rica's participation in future coalition meetings and on any internal review of how the trip was handled.
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