According to the Presidential House, Fernández's first priority at the summit was to make an urgent appeal for regional cooperation against the growing threat of “narcoterrorism,” which damages national economies, undermines societies and threatens security across the region.

“We must agree that the way politics is conducted has changed,” Fernández said. “Today, our citizens demand institutions that respond to their needs, security for their families and opportunities for a better life.”

Fernández added that transnational organized crime has placed national sovereignty under threat.

“Narcoterrorism and transnational organized crime eat away at our institutions, buy favors, foster corruption, occupy territories and steal the present and future of our young people. By spreading violence and terror, they are advancing their efforts to take control of the state,” she said.

Among Costa Rica's actions to combat narcoterrorism, Fernández mentioned the designation of organizations such as Hezbollah, Hamas, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel as terrorist organizations.

In April 2026, Costa Rica officially designated four Middle Eastern groups as terrorist organizations: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis.

In September 2026, Costa Rica participated in the Shield of the Americas summit in the United States, joining a joint agreement to recognize transnational narcoterrorist organizations and strengthen efforts to combat them.

Fernández affirmed that her administration will continue pursuing a hard-line policy to dismantle criminal organizations and their international networks. The strategy includes legal reforms, increased investment in police forces and the construction of new prisons with stricter conditions to strengthen control over inmates.

Costa Rica recently began operations at the Center for High Containment of Organized Crime (CACCO), a new maximum-security prison.

The Costa Rican president urged Ibero-American countries to develop a coordinated response to narcoterrorism by aligning their operations and strengthening cooperation among member nations to establish a united front against organized crime.

Costa Rica officially nominated Grynspan for U.N. secretary-general in October 2025.

Grynspan, 70, has held several senior government positions in Costa Rica, including serving as vice president from 1994 to 1998 under former President José María Figueres Olsen. She is now seeking to become the next head of the United Nations.

According to a recent report by the Spanish news agency EFE, Grynspan again placed first in an unofficial poll conducted the previous Friday, marking the seventh informal round of voting by the United Nations Security Council.

In the closed-door vote, the 15 members of the U.N. Security Council gave the Costa Rican candidate 11 votes of support.

The international intergovernmental organization has established Dec. 31 as the end of the current secretary-general Antonio Guterres' term.

The United Nations (U.N.), headquartered in Manhattan, New York, was founded in 1945 and has 193 member states. Its core mission is to maintain international peace and security, promote human rights, foster social and economic development, and provide a platform for international cooperation and diplomacy.

As part of President Fernández's official visit to Spain, she met with King Felipe VI on Tuesday at the Royal Palace of Madrid. They discussed issues of mutual interest to both countries, including the effects of climate change, ocean protection measures and potential cybersecurity strategies.

Last week, Fernández traveled to the Vatican to meet with Pope Leo XIV. During the meeting, she invited the pope to visit Costa Rica in 2027 and participate in special events marking the 203rd anniversary of the declaration of Our Lady of the Angels (Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles), affectionately known as “La Negrita,” the country's patron saint.

The president is traveling with her husband, Jeffrey Umaña-Avendaño; Communications Minister Arnold Zamora; and Ana Elena Pinto, of the Ministry of International Affairs.

Fernández and her delegation are expected to return to Costa Rica on Friday, Nov. 6.

During the president's absence, First Vice President Francisco Gamboa-Soto will be in charge of the government.

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What strategic steps should Ibero-American countries take to combat narcoterrorism? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com