When a Latin American president assumes office, it’s common for fellow heads of states to attend their counterpart’s inauguration as a sign of respect.
But when the first female president of Brazil Dilma Rousseff was sworn in Saturday, the first female president of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla, was not present.
When questioned about her absence, head Costa Rican cabinet member Marco Vargas, said in a press conference Tuesday that Chinchilla had not made any plans to travel during the month of December because she had to attend to prior commitments. In addition, Vargas stated that Chinchilla chose to stay home for the New Year because of the [fiscal] situation of the country. Costa Rica faces a growing fiscal deficit.
Chinchilla was represented by Costa Rica Ambassador to Brazil Victor Manuel Monge.
