No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomePoliticsCosta RicaCosta Rica's Solís calls for 'more substantive' Central America integration

Costa Rica’s Solís calls for ‘more substantive’ Central America integration

GUATEMALA CITY – It’s time to leave the rhetoric aside, said Costa Rica President Luis Guillermo Solís as he kicked off a four-day visit to Guatemala Thursday with a call for a “more substantive” Central America integration.

“From my perspective, [regional] unity shouldn’t only be an expression of rhetoric, but rather it should clearly express positive action,” Solís said as he was welcomed by newly elected Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales at the National Palace in downtown Guatemala City.

The Costa Rican president also will meet with the presidents of both the legislative and judicial branches, and will travel to the northern department of Petén, which borders Mexico and Belize. There he will visit the archaeological site El Mirador among other activities.

Solís said his administration would evaluate returning to full participation in the Central American Integration System (SICA) if leaders of other countries on the isthmus formulate specific and effective proposals toward integration. Last December, Costa Rica withdrew from SICA’s political forums after being snubbed by other countries in the region on the issue of helping thousands of Cuban migrants stranded in Costa Rica after Nicaragua shut its border to them.

A slow-paced solution finally was reached with Costa Rica offering flights to the Cubans to El Salvador and Mexico, where they will continue their journey to the United States.

Read our extensive coverage of the Cuban migrants here

Costa Rica President Luis Guillermo Solís and Guatemala President Jimmy Morales
(Courtesy Casa Presidencial)

But Costa Rica’s return to SICA politics “would require that we start seriously thinking about the challenges Central America faces and how we can meet them with an effective and efficient integration that responds to the needs of our people and their aspirations for unity,” Solís said.

“We could be exemplary leaders in the battle against epidemics, disasters, terrorism and organized crime if we united around an efficient system of integration, and one based on substance,” the Costa Rican president added.

Morales, a former comedian and political outsider who took office in January, highlight the good relations between Guatemala and Costa Rica and promised to increase the participation of Tico businesses in the Northern Triangle country.

Trending Now

Celso Gamboa Allegedly Ran Drug Ring with Costa Rican Government Ties

Celso Gamboa, once Costa Rica’s Security Minister and a Supreme Court judge, now faces extradition to the U.S. for leading a major cocaine trafficking...

Costa Rica and U.S. Strengthen Border Scans and Biometric Cooperation

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem met Wednesday with Honduran President Xiomara Castro to discuss security and migration, following her offer in Costa...

Fishing, Wildlife, and History in Costa Rica’s Barra del Colorado

Costa Rica’s Barra del Colorado is a magical and charming town. It’s one of the country’s hidden gems, best known for its world-class sport...

U.S. – Guatemala Security Pact Targets Crime and Helps Returning Migrants

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem signed a border security cooperation agreement with Guatemala on Thursday, which includes the use of drones and...

Why Costa Rica Feels Like a Safe Haven for This Longtime Expat

If someone asked me to sum up why I live in Costa Rica in 5 words or less, my answer could well be: “It...

Guatemala Offers Asylum to Nicaraguan Migrants Deported by U.S.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo announced on Friday that his country will grant asylum to Nicaraguan migrants deported by the United States who do not...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica