Published on Wednesday, February 18, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

President Rodrigo Chaves-Robles and President-elect Laura Fernández will meet in the coming days with U.S. President Donald Trump in the U.S. State of Florida.

Fernández, who also serves as Minister of the Presidency, was elected in early February as the country’s 50th president for the 2026–2030 term. She will be sworn in on May 8, beginning a four-year term that runs through 2030.

The high-level meeting was announced on Wednesday by Chaves and Fernández during a press conference at the Presidential House in San José following their weekly Cabinet meeting.

 

Chaves said the meeting with Trump will take place soon at a hotel in the state of Florida, although he did not specify the exact date or time. It is reportedly scheduled to take place at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, one of Trump’s Florida properties.

He said the meeting is being held within the framework of the Americas Shield Program, an initiative the United States is developing with allied countries in the Western Hemisphere.

“President Donald Trump invited a small group of Latin American leaders to meet with him in Florida, at one of his hotels, to discuss the Americas Shield program, which has the same name as the agreement that (El Salvador President) Nayib Bukele and I signed,” Chaves said.

Security issues affecting the region are expected to top the agenda. Costa Rica leaders also plan to address illegal gold mining activities primarily carried out by Nicaraguan nationals without state authorization in the Crucitas area of Alajuela province, near the border with Nicaragua.

In a recent effort to regain control of the Crucitas area and curb illegal gold mining, Costa Rica launched a demolition operation using controlled explosives to destroy tunnels and structures used for illicit activities.

Chaves said the official invitation also includes Foreign Affairs Minister Arnoldo André-Tinoco.

----------------
What issue should Costa Rica prioritize in seeking support from the United States? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com