Q COSTA RICA — Weeks before the abrupt dismissal of Foreign Minister Manuel Tovar, the then-minister had already distanced himself from the Minister of the Presidency and Finance, Rodrigo Chaves.
This became evident in an interview Tovar gave to El País, reports Crhoy.com.
When asked about the extent of Chaves’s interference in foreign policy—considering the “strong influence” he wields beyond his official roles—Tovar replied, “I am the Foreign Minister, and Ms. Laura Fernández is the President.”
According to Tovar, Chaves could influence foreign policy as much as any other minister. However, he maintained that foreign policy was defined by him and Fernández, though this did not mean he did not receive advice from other government members.
The interview also touched upon relations with China—a country from which Chaves had made a point of distancing himself during his administration.
Tovar stated that he had held a frank conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and affirmed that the government would respect the “One China” principle. He acknowledged that, as in any bilateral relationship, there might be periods of greater or lesser closeness, but maintained that Costa Rica sought to pursue a foreign policy of friendship with all its partners.
Tovar was dismissed last Thursday by President Fernández, who argued that the Foreign Minister had failed to inform her about a meeting of the “Shield of the Americas” initiative held on Tuesday, September 22, which was attended by U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to the Presidency, this omission prevented Fernández from participating in the meeting and caused strategic damage.
However, in an interview with Argentina’s La Nación, 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.