President Biden Explored Visiting Costa Rica Prior to Meeting with Chaves in Washington D.C.

The President of the United States, Joe Biden, explored visiting Costa Rica prior to a meeting with Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves in the Oval Room of the White House. Arnoldo André Tinoco, Foreign Minister of the Republic, said that there were conversations with the US government about whether this meeting would take place in Costa Rica or in the United States. In the end, it was finalized to do it in Washington.

“They were discussing whether the meeting could be here or there, and, in the end, we agreed that due to the agendas of both (leaders) that we were going to do it there”, he declared at the end of the press conference after the Governing Council. “What we finally agreed on and consider to be a success for the Foreign Ministry, in such a short time to have managed to get President Biden to receive President Chaves in the Oval Office, at the White House; there are not many leaders who have that privilege”, the diplomat highlighted.

Initially, the company that provides financial information, Bloomberg, highlighted that Biden explored the possibility of being in Costa Rica this month. “But it did not come to fruition, according to people familiar with the plans”, Bloomberg said.

Meeting amid tensions

The meeting between Biden and Chaves will take place amid tensions between the United States and China as the former accuses the latter of gaining ground in Latin America. “The Biden administration is eager to improve ties with partner countries as part of its self-described great power competition with China, which has sought to increase its presence in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East”, Bloomberg said in his publication on Wednesday.

After this, Costa Rica ruled out taking a position on one or the other, recognizing that it could become detrimental to the country. “Costa Rica is not going to get into a fight between elephants because what guides the north of foreign policy is the well-being of the people”, Chaves responded last Wednesday when asked by the press.

The chancellor reinforced this idea by indicating that one should not participate in the world’s power blocs. “Costa Rica has international relations with both the United States and the People’s Republic of China and should take advantage of cooperation opportunities”, said the diplomat.

Chaves’stour in the United States began on Monday, August 28th, after receiving Colombian President Gustavo Petro. His arrival is on the same day that he has the audience with Biden to discuss immigration issues, cooperation between both countries, development of inclusive and sustainable economies, security and cybersecurity.

Also he will hold a meeting with the private sector of North American companies. That day he will end his visit to North American soil to begin his return to Costa Rica in order to go on a tour in Limón.With him, the Minister of Foreign Trade, Manuel Tovar; the Minister of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications, Paula Bogantes, the Minister of Security, Mario Zamora and the Minister of Communication and Liaison, Jorge Rodríguez, also attend the meeting.