Q COSTA RICA — Argentine President Javier Milei said Donald Trump arrived unexpectedly at a meeting held alongside the United Nations General Assembly, offering a different account of the event that led Costa Rican President Laura Fernández to remove Manuel Tovar as Foreign Minister.
Fernández dismissed Tovar after he represented Costa Rica at the Sept. 22 meeting in New York without informing her in advance. The gathering, known as “Shield of the Americas,” brought together regional leaders during the annual UN meetings.
Costa Rica’s presidency said Tovar’s failure to report the event prevented Fernández from attending a meeting involving Trump. Fernández later said she had never received the invitation and presented the episode as a serious breakdown in communication.
Milei’s account suggests Trump’s participation may not have been part of the original schedule. If the U.S. president arrived without prior notice, it is unclear whether Tovar knew beforehand that Trump would attend or whether there was enough time to inform Fernández.
The distinction matters because Fernández’s decision centered on the claim that her Foreign Minister had failed to alert her to a high-level diplomatic opportunity.
Tovar attended the event as Costa Rica’s representative. The session reportedly included several heads of state, among them Milei and Chilean President José Antonio Kast, while Costa Rica was represented at the ministerial level.
Fernández’s dismissal of Tovar came only days after the meeting. He had served as foreign minister for 139 days.
Neither Milei’s description nor Fernández’s explanation settles what information was available to Costa Rican officials before the gathering. Still, the Argentine president’s comments add a new element to the controversy: Trump’s presence may have been an unplanned development rather than a confirmed part of the invitation that Tovar allegedly failed to communicate.
Busy or available?
While the President says of an opportunity missed, was she really busy or available?
In July, the president had indicated she would not attend the UN because she was too busy.
“I am not going to the General Assembly. I have already made that decision with the Foreign Minister and my team because I am very busy; for me, it is more important to be in Costa Rica addressing security issues and investment projects. We have matters of such importance that I shouldn’t go off on a trip,” the president stated at the time, speaking to the program Octavo Mandamiento on Canal OPA.
On Tuesday the 22nd, while U.S. President Donald Trump delivered his annual address to the UN, the Costa Rican president was visiting Colombia. According to the Argentinian president, Trump’s attendance at a meeting of allies came as a surprise.
On Wednesday the 23rd, President Fernández went shopping with Colombia’s first lady, before returning to Costa Rica.
On Thursday, September 24, at an event in Golfito, the President stated Tovar’s representation on her behalf was something she could not overlook.
On Friday, September 25, the president admonished all her ministers regarding the incident involving Tovar.
She also argued that had she known about the meeting with Trump, she would have traveled to the U.S. and adjusted her agenda in Colombia.
Tovar issued a single social media message after leaving the government, highlighting the importance of attending the UN—contrary to what Fernández had expressed.