President-elect Luis Guillermo Solís adds more names to his Cabinet

President-elect Luis Guillermo Solís on Monday announced 19 new members of his administration, short of the full staff he had promised during a previous naming ceremony.

During a 4 p.m. press conference at the Children’s Museum in San José, Solís presented the new officials and said a few posts remain to be filled. The president-elect continues holding talks with possible appointees, he added.

A first group of 21 officials was named last Monday, and “the remaining names will be announced next Monday,” Solís said a week ago, accompanied by vice presidents Helio Fallas and Ana Helena Chacón.

The surprise of the evening was the appointment of two former officials of President Abel Pacheco’s administration (2002-2006) in key posts: former Social Christian Unity Party members María del Rocío Sáenz, who previously served as health minister and now will lead the Social Security System, and Delia Villalobos, who served as health vice minister and sports director, and now will lead the Social Protection Council.

The new officials appointed Monday are:

Foreign Minister: Manuel González Sanz

Agriculture and Livestock Minister: Luis Felipe Arauz Cavallini

Agriculture and Livestock Vice Minister: José Joaquín Salazar

Agriculture and Livestock Vice Minister: Ginna Paniagua Sánchez

Political Affairs Vice Minister: Ana Gabriela Zúñiga

Small and Medium Businesses Vice Minister: Geannina Dinarte Romero

Waters, Oceans, Coasts and Wetlands Vice Minister: Fernando Mora Rodríguez

Youth Vice Minister: Helena Quesada Serrano

Peace Vice Minister: Víctor Barrantes Marín

Housing Vice Minister: Ana Cristina Trejos Murillo

Costa Rican Oil Refinery Executive President: Sara Salazar Badilla

Rural Development Institute Executive President: Ricardo Rodríguez Barquero

Social Security System Executive President: María del Rocío Sáenz Madrigal

National Production Council Executive President: Carlos Enrique Monge

Social Protection Council Executive President: Delia Villalobos Álvarez

Institute for Municipal Development Executive President: Yanina Soto Vargas

Child Welfare Office Executive President: Ana Teresa León Sáenz

United Nations Ambassador: Juan Carlos Mendoza García

Organization of American States Ambassador: Pablo Barahona Kruger

Solís and his Cabinet members will take office at the official inauguration ceremony on May 8 at the National Stadium in La Sabana Park, west of San José.