Diplomatic Briefing
Your exclusive news aggregator handpicked daily!Archive for Costa Rica
Newsline: Costa Rica’s foreign ministry says China apologizes for balloon ‘incident’
China apologized to Costa Rica for a balloon that flew over its territory, the Central American country’s government said on Monday. According to a brief statement from Costa Rica’s foreign ministry, the Chinese government recognized that one of its balloons flew over Costa Rica, and China’s embassy in San Jose “apologized for the incident,” while insisting the balloon was focused on scientific research, mainly weather studies. Costa Rican officials were told by Chinese officials the balloon flight path deviated from its original plan and it had a limited ability to correct the error, according to the statement. (https://neuters.de/world/americas/costa-rica-says-china-apologizes-balloon-incident-over-its-airspace-2023-02-07/) A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman told reporters at a news conference in Beijing on Monday that the balloon spotted in Latin America was used for civilian purposes. A U.S. military jet shot down a similar balloon just off its Atlantic coast on Saturday.
Newsline: U.S. Embassy offering repatriation flights from Costa Rica
The United States Embassy in Costa Rica has coordinated with United Airlines to offer a repatriation flight from Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) near San José to Houston, Texas (IAH) on Monday, April 27. (https://ticotimes.net/2020/04/18/u-s-embassy-offering-third-repatriation-flight-from-costa-rica) The offering is in addition to Monday’s flight, which is operating on a similar schedule and with the same airline. Travel company VEMSA is also selling tickets for an April 22 flight from Costa Rica to Miami. This flight will be operated by Avianca, but tickets are only available through VEMSA.
Newsline: Venezuela withdraws diplomatic credential from Costa Rican diplomat
Venezuela withdrew the diplomatic credential from the Costa Rican chargé d’affaires in retaliation for the country’s acceptance of Juan Guaidó’s diplomat as Venezuelan ambassador in San José. “The Bolivarian Government of Venezuela has decided to withdraw the diplomatic credential to Mr. Danilo González Ramírez, who was in charge of business affairs for the Republic of Costa Rica in Venezuela,” the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry announced in a statement. The ministry also warned that it reserves the possibility of applying other reciprocal measures “to compensate this unacceptable aggression against the personnel and premises of the diplomatic mission.” (https://ticotimes.net/2019/04/17/venezuela-withdraws-diplomatic-credential-from-costa-rican-diplomat) The three officials who made up the diplomatic mission of the government of Nicolás Maduro recently left the Venezuelan embassy in Costa Rica, which recognizes Guaidó as interim president along with some 50 more countries. On Feb. 15, Costa Rica had given the Maduro-appointed diplomats 60 days to leave the embassy, which was occupied on Tuesday by Maria Faría, designated by Guaidó and accredited in San José. In February, Faría tried to enter by force the Venezuelan embassy accompanied by dozens of Venezuelans. The incident generated an immediate response from the Costa Rican government, which asked her to withdraw from the headquarters.
Newsline: At Costa Rica’s request, Guaidó-appointed ambassador temporarily leaves embassy
María Faría, appointed ambassador to Costa Rica by Juan Guaidó, Venezuela’s self-proclaimed interim president, left the embassy at the request of the Costa Rican government, the Foreign Ministry announced. Faría had taken possession of the embassy on Frb. 20. “Faría pledged to abandon the Embassy’s headquarters, along with her advisors, in compliance with an express request made by Foreign Minister Manuel E. Ventura,” read a statement from the Foreign Ministry published after a meeting between the two (http://www.ticotimes.net/2019/02/22/at-costa-ricas-request-guaido-appointed-ambassador-temporarily-leaves-embassy). During the conversation with Ventura, “Faría apologized to the president of the republic, Carlos Alvarado, and to the people of Costa Rica” for having taken possession of the premises without waiting for the expiration of the “diplomatic term of 60 days given by Costa Rica to the government officials of Nicolás Maduro to leave the country. ”
Newsline: Venezuela’s opposition ambassador takes control of embassy in Costa Rica
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guiado’s designated ambassador to Costa Rica took control of Venezuela’s embassy in the Central American country on Feb. 20, triggering criticism from the Costa Rican government for not waiting (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-costa-rica/venezuelas-opposition-ambassador-takes-control-of-embassy-in-costa-rica-idUSKCN1Q92RY). On Feb. 15, the Costa Rican government gave Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s representatives 60 days to leave the country. Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado has joined the United States and a long list of governments in Latin America and Europe in recognizing Guaido, who invoked the constitution to assume the interim presidency after declaring Maduro’s reelection illegitimate. Maria Faria, Guiado’s representative in Costa Rica, took possession of the embassy early on Feb. 20. The office said Faria was working with a team of auditors and legal advisers to ensure an orderly transition. It was not immediately clear how her team obtained access to the embassy. Despite recognizing Faria as Venezuela’s legitimate ambassador, the Costa Rican foreign ministry criticized her for taking possession of the embassy before the deadline, saying it would send a diplomatic note.
Newsline: Costa Rica opens embassy in Abu Dhabi
Costa Rica’s UAE embassy was officially opened in Abu Dhabi by foreign affairs minister Manuel Gonzalez Sanz, in the presence of UAE Minister of State Zaki Nusseibeh. For the opening, Costa Rica’s ambassador to the UAE, Francisco Chacon, and Saeed Al Qamzi, director of visits affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, joined members of the diplomatic corps, business representatives and the Costa Rican resident community in the UAE. Mr Sanz said the presence of the embassy in the UAE signifies the friendship bonds between the UAE and Costa Rica, which ”we hope to grow stronger by time”.
https://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/costa-rica-opens-embassy-in-abu-dhabi-1.678343
Newsline: Costa Rica Ambassador Moves To Bengaluru To Save Herself From ‘Toxic’ Delhi Air
While the pollution level in the national capital continues to remain ‘extremely unhealthy’ forcing many to leave the city, the Costa Rican ambassador to India, Mariela Cruz Alvarez, has moved to Bengaluru after developing respiratory illness. She recently took to Facebook to call her stay in Delhi the ‘worst experience’ of her life. “My experience of filthy air in Delhi is the worst experience I have ever had in my life. My lungs hurt, can’t breathe well. Feverish and fatigued. This is no fun and 20 millions of people are breathing that poison now up north, including some dear friends. The basic right to clean air is a Human Right. The Indian government needs to make radical decisions here in India NOW. Leadership is about taking care of the people.That is #1 priority,” Alvarez wrote.
Newsline: Costa Rica opens embassy in Turkey
The Republic of Costa Rica opened an embassy in Turkey’s capital Ankara. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Costa Rican counterpart Manuel Gonzalez Sanz attended the inauguration ceremony. Cavusoglu said that cooperation between the two countries will mainly focus on economic opportunities and on establishing a free trade zone. The foreign minister also mentioned that Turkey is expanding its presence in Central America, increasing the number of countries with its embassies to 12 in the region. Costa Rica’s Foreign Minister Sanz described the day as a “historic one,” as Costa Rica became the first Central American country to open an embassy in Turkey.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/news/145905/costa-rica-opens-embassy-in-ankara
Newsline: Bomb scare at Israeli Embassy in Costa Rica
An anonymous caller alerted authorities to an alleged explosive device at the Israeli Embassy in Paseo Colón. Authorities responded immediately to the scene, but were unable to locate any bomb or explosive device. Embassy personnel were allowed to go back to work after authorities gave the all clear. Costa Rica’s government has also been critical of recent Israeli operations in Gaza. Authorities have not yet identified any suspects in Friday’s bomb threat, but have reason to take such threats seriously. In 1992, a suicide bombing attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killed 29 civilians and injured 242.
http://insidecostarica.com/2014/08/11/bomb-scare-israeli-embassy-san-jose/
Newsline: Obama taps another bundler to be ambassador to Costa Rica
President Obama nominated yet another bundler for an excellent ambassadorship, one in beautiful Costa Rica, land of wonderful beaches, volcanoes, tropical forests, zip-lining, exotic fauna and flora, lovely people and no army. The pick? Stafford Fitzgerald Haney, who’s head of business development and client service at Pzena Investment Management. Haney could be described — according to a New York Times tally — not as a mega-bundler but more a mini-bundler, raising only $35,800 in the last campaign (through September 2012) and just under a piddling $200,000 since 2007. It’s pretty safe to assume, from his résumé, that Haney speaks some Spanish, since he worked for much of the ’90s for U.S. companies in Puerto Rico and as a company marketing manager for Mexico and Central America — which may have even taken him to Costa Rica. He also got undergrad and masters degrees from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service.
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