Chinchilla receives honorary degree from Washington D.C.’s Georgetown University

On Saturday, Costa Rica President Laura Chinchilla was granted a Honoris Causa doctorate by the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., in recognition for her career as a public officer and an international leader, according to a press release sent out by Casa Presidencial.

Chinchilla received the award from the president of the university, John J. DeGiogia.

During his speech, DeGiogia, said “in a world increasingly violent Chinchilla is committed to maintaining peace between Costa Rica and its neighbors. Her measured response to the border dispute with Nicaragua is a model of diplomacy and her trust on international ways of conflict solving instead of the use of force, sets her government as an example to the world.”

Chinchilla also gave the commencement speech for the college. She encouraged future graduates of the school to trust the values of democracy whenever they need to make tough political decisions, especially in the field of foreign service. In her speech, she also compared Costa Rica’s immigration issues with the United States’ own immigrant controversy.

“Costa Rica is one of the oldest democracies in Latin America,” she said. “Just like the United States, for many years we have received immigrants who have been seeking political or economic freedom, they have contributed to our prosperity through hard work and have enriched our society with the diversity of many cultures.”