Upon the landing of Air Force at Juan Santamaria International Airport, on May 3rd, a 22-hour countdown will start for President Barack Obama in Costa Rica, where his stay will be marked for extreme precision in operational and security details.
More than 1,000 police officers in uniform and the 180 agents of the Intelligence and Security Bureau (DIS in Spanish) will be deployed in an effort to grant security to Mr. Obama. Also acting to that end will be officers from the Special Intervention Unit (UEI in Spanish) and US agents who have been in San Jose for several days already.
Upon the arrival of Air Force One, a security operation will be at full throttle, one that the Vice-Minister of the Presidency Mauricio Boraschi describes as “one of the largest ever in Costa Rica”, since the arrival of the President of the world power will be accompanied by those of six other heads of state from the region.
“Recent events in the United States make us be in red alert,” Mr. Boraschi pointed out. He asserted that security will be extreme in the five places the US President is expected to visit and also on the intervening routes.
The Yellow House (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he will meet with President Laura Chinchilla), the National Culture Center (where he will hold a press conference) and the National Theater (where he will meet with the Central American presidents and will share dinner) are the places foreseen for Friday, May 3rd, in addition to the hotel in Belen or Escazu, according to the preliminary schedule.
No activities are scheduled before 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 4th, at that hour he will hold a business meeting at the old Customs Building. He will leave before noon because the departure of Air Force One back to Washington is set for that hour.
Behind will stay the day of for public workers in San Jose and six other cantons, the public services interrupted because the visit of Mr. Obama, and the eventual demonstrations that several groups were planning.
Also, a photograph of the US President with his Central American peers will have been taken after the meeting that will less than one hour.
The aim of Costa Rican authorities is being able to say that there were no negative surprises, not even demonstrations that blocked streets (“We are ready to answer”, Mr. Boraschi stated), that nothing interfered with the plan for Mr. Obama’s 22 hours in Costa Rica.
