Costa Rica minister fired for unapproved meeting with Trump in US

Laura Fernandez dismissed the foreign minister over his attendance at “Shield of the Americas” meeting in New York.

Costa Rican President Laura Fernandez and former Foreign Minister Manuel Tovar in San Jose [File: AFP]

Costa Rican President Laura Fernandez has fired Foreign Minister Manuel Tovar after he attended a US-led regional security summit with United States President Donald Trump without notifying her, an omission the government has said blocked her own participation and caused major strategic harm to the country’s interests.

Fernandez said that she should have been the one to attend the meeting of Trump’s anti-cartel “ Shield of the Americas ” alliance in New York. The coalition says its mission is to combat drug trafficking and organised crime across the region.

Tovar attended “without giving prior notice or informing” the president, a conservative Trump ally, of his participation, Costa Rica’s government said.

Several right-wing Latin American presidents also participated in the meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Fifteen coalition members issued a joint statement declaring their intent to impose asset freezes and visa restrictions and seek criminal liability for members and supporters of 24 criminal organisations.

The gathering was the administration’s latest effort to rally the region behind a more aggressive approach to drug trafficking. Since returning to office last year, Trump has designated cartels as foreign “terrorist” organisations and ordered dozens of strikes on boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific that US officials say were carrying narcotics bound for the US.

Costa Rica, a tourist haven that has long been seen as a beacon of stability in Latin America, is grappling with a surge in drug-related violence.

Tovar avoided commenting on his dismissal and simply thanked Fernandez, in power since last May, for including him in her cabinet.

Indiana Trejos, Costa Rica’s current Minister of Foreign Trade, has been named acting foreign minister and will assume the role upon returning from her mission at the UNGA.

劳拉·费尔南德斯因外交部长出席在纽约举行的“美洲之盾”会议而将其解职。

哥斯达黎加总统劳拉·费尔南德斯和前外交部长曼努埃尔·托瓦尔在圣何塞 [图片：法新社]

哥斯达黎加总统劳拉·费尔南德斯解雇了外交部长曼努埃尔·托瓦尔，原因是托瓦尔在未通知她的情况下参加了由美国主导的、美国总统唐纳德·特朗普出席的地区安全峰会。哥斯达黎加政府表示，托瓦尔的这一疏忽阻碍了她本人参会，并对国家利益造成了重大的战略损害。

费尔南德斯表示，她本应出席在纽约举行的特朗普反毒枭联盟“美洲之盾”会议。该联盟称其使命是打击整个地区的毒品走私和有组织犯罪。

哥斯达黎加政府表示，托瓦尔“事先没有通知或告知”总统（特朗普的保守派盟友）他将出席。

多位拉美右翼国家总统也参加了此次会议，会议在纽约联合国大会期间举行。十五个联盟成员发表联合声明，宣布将对24个犯罪组织的成员和支持者实施资产冻结、签证限制，并追究其刑事责任。

此次集会是特朗普政府为争取该地区支持其采取更强硬的打击毒品走私措施而采取的最新举措。自去年重返总统职位以来，特朗普已将贩毒集团列为外国“恐怖组织”，并下令在加勒比海和东太平洋对数十艘船只进行打击，美国官员称这些船只载有运往美国的毒品。

哥斯达黎加是拉丁美洲的旅游胜地，长期以来被视为稳定的灯塔，但如今却面临着与毒品相关的暴力事件激增的困境。

托瓦尔避免就自己的解职发表评论，只是感谢自去年五月以来一直执政的费尔南德斯将他纳入内阁。

哥斯达黎加现任外贸部长印第安娜·特雷霍斯已被任命为代理外交部长，她将在结束联合国大会的访问任务返回后就任该职务。