President Luis Guillermo Solís this week confirmed that he will dismiss eight Costa Rican ambassadors “appointed by political criteria during the previous administration.”
On Monday, Foreign Minister Manuel González said he will replace current Ambassador to the Vatican Fernando Sánchez, a former National Liberation Party lawmaker appointed four years ago by President Laura Chinchilla (2010-2014). Sánchez will leave the post on July 8.
At a weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Presidency Minister Melvin Jiménez also announced the dismissal of seven more ambassadors who will leave office at different dates from now until Sept. 18.
Solís said the diplomats would be replaced by people close to his administration, although he declined to provide the names.
Eduardo Ulibarri, Costa Rica’s ambassador to the United Nations, will leave his post on June 27, while Ambassador to the Organization of American States Édgar Ugalde will leave on July 8.
Ambassador to Mexico Gabriela Jiménez will leave the post on July 15, and Ambassador to Uruguay José María Tijerino leaves on July 31.
Three ambassadors will end their terms in August: Manuel Bernardo Dengo, at the United Nations Office in Geneva, on Aug. 1, María del Pilar Saborío, ambassador to the United Kingdom, on Aug. 16, and Jaime Feinzaig, ambassador to Italy, on Aug. 31.
On Sept. 18, Adriana Prado leaves office as ambassador to El Salvador, and Jan Ruge Moya will return from Chile.
