Costa Rica announced that it will close its embassy in Cuba on Wednesday, April 1, and has asked Cuban authorities to reduce their diplomatic presence in Costa Rican territory, marking a significant downgrading of bilateral relations.

President Rodrigo Chaves-Robles announced on Wednesday the decision during a press conference following his monthly cabinet meeting, held at the Peñas Blancas migration checkpoint in Guanacaste province near the border with Nicaragua.

Chaves said the move reflects Costa Rica’s stance against what it considers a lack of freedoms in Cuba, which is governed by Miguel Díaz-Canel.

“Costa Rica will not remain silent,” Chaves said, adding that his government "does not recognize the legitimacy of Cuba’s leadership due to repression, deteriorating living conditions and restrictions on fundamental freedoms."

Chaves noted that the communist regime keeps Cuban citizens in precarious conditions. “It is clear that the communist model has failed in Cuba, just as it has failed everywhere it has been enforced. Only human freedom can lead to progress.”

Foreign Minister Arnoldo André Tinoco said worsening conditions on the island,  including shortages of essential goods and limited access to food, medicine and basic services,  have made it “virtually impossible” for Costa Rica’s diplomatic mission in Havana to operate effectively. He noted the embassy has been without diplomatic staff since February.

Trade between the two countries remains limited. According to the Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX), exports to Cuba totaled nearly $49 million in 2025, primarily antisera and chicken. Imports from Cuba reached about $200,000, mainly cigars and rum.

Costa Rica’s overall exports hit a record high of more than $22.8 billion in 2025, a 14% increase from the previous year. North America remained its largest market, with combined exports to the United States, Canada and Mexico rising 17%, or an additional $1.4 billion in sales.

Cuba has maintained a socialist political system since 1961, based on a one-party structure and is constitutionally defined as a Marxist-Leninist socialist republic.

According to the United Nations, the Cuban government continues to repress and punish most forms of dissent and public criticism amid a severe economic crisis affecting basic rights, including access to health care and food.

"Hundreds of critics and protesters, including many who demonstrated during the 2021 Cuban protests, remain arbitrarily detained," the UN stated in its report. "The country has experienced waves of protests driven by blackouts, shortages and worsening living conditions, while large numbers of Cubans continue to leave the island."

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