Costa Rica fires Foreign Minister Tovar over missed Trump meeting
President Laura Fernández dismissed Manuel Tovar for failing to inform her about a summit with Donald Trump, causing her absence and strategic damage.
KEY POINTS
- President Laura Fernández fired Foreign Minister Manuel Tovar on September 24, 2026.
- Tovar failed to inform Fernández about a September 22 Americas Shield summit attended by Donald Trump.
- Tovar knew of the invitation by September 17, per a Miami Herald interview.
- Casa Presidencial cited negligence and strategic damage from the president's absence.
- Tovar's 139-day tenure is the shortest since Costa Rica's Second Republic began in 1948.
Costa Rican President Laura Fernández dismissed Foreign Minister Manuel Tovar on Thursday after he failed to notify her about an Americas Shield summit in New York where U.S. President Donald Trump participated. The meeting occurred on September 22 during the UN General Assembly. Tovar knew of the invitation by September 17, when he mentioned it in a Miami Herald interview, but did not alert the president. Casa Presidencial called the omission negligence that caused strategic damage and prevented Fernández from attending. The president was in Colombia meeting counterpart Abelardo de la Espriella at the time and learned of the summit through media reports. Tovar had met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on September 16. He was in New York leading the delegation and scheduled to address the General Assembly on September 28. His 139-day tenure is the shortest for a Costa Rican foreign minister since 1948.
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