Commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), U.S. Army Gen. Laura Richardson, will visit Costa Rica on Monday, February 6. This will be her first official visit to the country.
Richardson will be in the country for four days and meet with President Rodrigo Chaves, Minister of Public Security Jorge Luis Torres, and other government leaders.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica, these gatherings are “focused on the longstanding bilateral security partnership between the United States and Costa Rica, and collaborative efforts to address security threats and challenges of mutual concern.”
The United States and Costa Rica have cooperated on security matters for a long time. Both countries have established a relationship based on “shared interests,” which include areas such as “disaster preparedness, cyber security, promoting respect for human rights, the expanded integration of women in security, peace, and defense missions, and international efforts to counter transnational criminal organizations.”
It’s important to note the country will also hold the Central American Security Conference (CENTSEC), which Richardson will cohost with Minister Jorge Luis Torres. At this event, defense and public security leaders of the Americas and Europe will “exchange ideas, experiences, and perspectives on regional collaboration to address security challenges in the 21st century.”
“This year’s CENTSEC will include plenary sessions on critical infrastructure protection in the cyber domain; climate change and environmental security; and human rights,” pointed out the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica.
After seven years, Costa Rica will once again have the chance to host the Central American Security Conference. The meeting, sponsored annually by SOUTHCOM, was last organized by Costa Rica in 2016.
