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.
