Costa Rica’s President Laura Fernández dismisses her foreign minister, Manuel Tovar, after he attends a New York meeting on Latin American security linked to US President Donald Trump without informing her in advance. Fernández says the president should have been the one to attend and that Tovar’s lack of prior consultation causes “great strategic damage.” The dismissal is announced as the meeting took place during the UN General Assembly period.
The meeting is part of Trump’s anti-cartel “Shield of the Americas” alliance, which brings together pro-US administrations to address drug trafficking and organized crime in the region. At the session, participating countries issue a joint statement calling for asset freezes and visa restrictions and for seeking criminal liability related to 24 criminal organizations. Accounts describe Trump characterizing drug cartels as “the ISIS of the Western Hemisphere.” Outlets agree on the core reason for the firing: Tovar’s attendance without notice to Fernández; they differ mainly in how much context each provides about the alliance and the statement’s details. Tovar does not comment on his dismissal, but thanks the president for including him in the cabinet.
