RICO’s Q — Yesterday, I shared that President Laura Fernández has been thinking about permitting U.S. ground troops to operate in Costa Rica.
In her interview with Reuters, which was then shared across all the major news networks and social media, she stated that U.S. ground operations would be “very beneficial” for Costa Rica’s security, contributing to combating transnational crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism. She also revealed that a conversation about this option happened a few months back.
Well, Doña Laura, here’s what the current occupant of the White House thinks about all of this.
In his post on Monday, President Trump has declared that North and Central America are now part of the United States of America. He also provided an altered map on Truth Social showing the U.S. flag covering large parts of North America, Central America, Greenland, Iceland, and Caribbean islands like Cuba and Jamaica, labeling the landmass as the “United States of America.”
No Explanation. Trump shared the graphic without any text, caption, or formal policy explanation.
Immediately after the post, Iceland—dependent on the United States for security since it hasn’t had a military since its independence in 1944—summoned in its ambassador.
Iceland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday in a statement: “Minister for Foreign Affairs, Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir, summoned the US Ambassador yesterday to convey a clear message that the image was wholly inappropriate.”
Costa Rica has not had a military since the constitutional amendment in 1948, right after the conclusion of the Costa Rican Civil War. Costa Rica celebrates the Día de la Abolición del Ejército (Army Abolition Day) every year on December 1 to honor this legacy.
Doña Laura, you could take a call from the Icelanders and instruct our Foreign Minister to recall our ambassador and make a similar statement, letting the White House know where we Costa Ricans, through you, stand.