President Solís cancels Europe trip due to continued volcanic activity

President Luis Guillermo Solís is postponing a trip to Europe because of continued activity from Turrialba Volcano, he told reporters on Saturday.

Solís was planning to travel to France, Spain and Italy beginning on Sunday.

The president said he didn’t want his cancelled plans to elicit concern.

“Everything’s being adequately taken care of, knowing that no major event is imminent,” he said.

But he made the decision “to make sure that everything’s being handled with the upmost transparency,” he said, in reference to coordination of a potential emergency response related to the volcano.

Turrialba began erupting on Thursday, spewing clouds of ash that reached the capital San José, around 70 kilometers away, and forcing the Juan Santamaría International Airport to close for some 18 hours.

More than 100 flights were cancelled.

The airport reopened on Friday and remained open Saturday.

Solís was planning to visit Paris to discuss Costa Rica’s admission to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCDE). In Spain, he had planned to meet with King Felipe VI and president Mariano Rajoy.

In Italy Solís was supposed to meet with potential investors.

He didn’t indicate when the trip might be rescheduled.