Q COSTARICA — Ambassador Lina Eugenia Ajoy Rojas was elected as the first Costa Rican and the second woman in history to assume the General Secretariat of the Central American Integration System (SICA), marking a precedent in the history of regional integration.
Ajoy’s appointment was ratified during an extraordinary meeting of heads of state and government, in which representatives from all member countries of the organization participated.
The appointment follows a selection process in which the Government of Costa Rica presented a shortlist of three professionals who met the requirements agreed upon by the member states.
Lina Ajoy’s term will begin on August 9, 2026, and will extend until 2030. She will lead an institution that promotes political, economic, social, and cultural integration among the countries of Central America. The organization’s main objective is to strengthen cooperation and sustainable development in the region, facilitating joint agreements and common policies in areas such as security, trade, the environment, and human rights.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs congratulated Ajoy on the appointment and reaffirmed its confidence that the new Secretary General will ensure effective and transparent management aligned with the priorities of the regional agenda. According to the ministry, “it is believed that Ajoy’s leadership will strengthen the system’s capacity to respond to the challenges shared by the region.”
Lina Ajoy has 27 years of experience in the Costa Rican Diplomatic Service. She is a career ambassador, lawyer, and notary, and has training in mediation and cooperation. She is also fluent in English and Italian, which allows her to interact in high-level international settings.
Among her most recent experiences, she served as ambassador to El Salvador, where she also represented Costa Rica before the SICA, and to Belize. She has also held diplomatic posts in Canada and Nicaragua.
The appointment was ratified on Wednesday during a virtual session attended by Costa Rica’s First Vice President, Francisco Gamboa; Guatemala’s President Bernardo Arévalo; Honduras’ President Nasry Asfura; and the president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader. Also present were El Salvador’s Vice President, Felix Ulloa; Nicaragua’s Co-Ministers Denis Moncada and Valdrack Jaentschke; and the Deputy Foreign Ministers of Belize, Amalia Mai, and Panama, Carlos Hoyos.
The Central American Integration System, founded in 1991, has as its fundamental mission to consolidate regional integration in order to achieve peace, freedom, democracy, and development. The organization comprises eight member states: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. Its main functions include fostering policy harmonization, facilitating intraregional trade, promoting democratic security, and encouraging technical and financial cooperation among member countries.
The appointment of Lina Ajoy as Secretary General of SICA represents a milestone for Costa Rican and regional diplomacy.
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The support of the Heads of State and Government demonstrates the importance that member countries place on the continuity and strengthening of the Central American integration process.
The cycle that now begins will be marked by the challenges arising from the region’s political, economic, and social context, as well as by expectations surrounding management focused on efficiency, transparency, and cooperation.