Costa Rican President Laura Fernández-Delgado met with Colombian President Abelardo Gabriel de la Espriella-Otero on Tuesday at Colombia's alternate presidential headquarters at the Paraíso Battalion in Barranquilla.

Fernández arrived in Colombia on Tuesday for her first official trip abroad since taking office. She was accompanied by Public Security Minister Gerald Campos, Justice Minister Gabriel Aguilar, Directorate of Intelligence and Security Director Pablo Martínez and other government officials.

During the high-level meeting, the two leaders agreed to pursue a hard-line policy against illegal groups, so-called narco terrorists, in their respective countries and to cooperate in the fight against criminal organizations, according to statements released to the press by both presidents and published by the Presidential House.

The understanding includes security cooperation, intelligence sharing and air and maritime cooperation. Authorities are expected to provide more details about the agreement in the coming hours.

"The Colombian government and the Costa Rican government are allies in a common goal: eradicating narcoterrorism from our countries," Fernández told reporters. "Both the Costa Rican and Colombian peoples are brotherly peoples, and that is why, in the face of a challenge of this magnitude, unity is the path toward shared prosperity."

De la Espriella also highlighted the ties between the two countries, noting that both are members of the Shield of the Americas, a coalition founded by U.S. President Donald Trump to combat drug trafficking in the region.

"Colombia is building a regional security vision," De la Espriella said. One of the key elements in the fight against organized crime, he said, is to "hit criminals where it hurts the most: in their financial resources."

The Colombian president also asked Fernández to suspend visa requirements for Colombian citizens traveling to Costa Rica, describing the request as a matter of fairness between the two countries. Colombia does not require Costa Rican citizens to obtain a visa to enter the country.

Fernández promised to review the request with immigration authorities and other government ministries responsible for regulating visas for foreign nationals.

Fernández and her delegation are expected to return to Costa Rica on Thursday.

The meeting between the two presidents coincided with other high-level multinational meetings involving presidents and senior officials from Latin America who participated Tuesday in the Shield of the Americas summit, an anti-cartel coalition led by U.S. President Donald Trump. The summit was held at United Nations headquarters in New York City.

  

At the beginning of her administration, Fernández announced the creation of a new task-force coalition known as the “Elite Force,” aimed at strengthening Costa Rica’s fight against crime and organized criminal groups.  The coalition will bring together multiple government agencies to address the country’s increasingly complex and interconnected criminal activity.

In a related development, the European Union recognized Costa Rica's efforts in the international anti-drug operation Atlas Nexus, which helped identify and dismantle transnational criminal networks.

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What kind of support could Colombia provide to Costa Rica to help improve security in the country? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com

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