Hosted by Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the summit marks the 30th edition of the gathering and the 35th anniversary of the founding of the Ibero-American Community. The organization comprises 22 member countries, including Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations in Latin America, as well as Spain, Portugal and Andorra.


The summit’s theme is “Ibero-America. Together We Build Our Community. Together We Project It Into the Future and Into the World.” Discussions will focus on sustainable growth, digitalization, energy security, educational and cultural cooperation, and global geopolitical coordination.

Fernández is traveling with her husband, Jeffrey Umaña-Avendaño, and Communications Minister Arnold Zamora.

This is Fernández’s third international trip since she assumed Costa Rica’s presidency in May.

The agreement calls for Costa Rica to study and adopt strategies used in El Salvador’s fight against crime. These include greater coordination among police agencies, improved intelligence gathering to combat drug trafficking, increased surveillance of seaports and airports, and cooperation with the United States and El Salvador.

In September, Fernández traveled to Colombia to meet with Colombian President Abelardo Gabriel de la Espriella-Otero.

During the high-level meeting, the two leaders agreed to pursue a hard-line approach toward illegal groups, including those described as “narco-terrorists,” in their respective countries and to cooperate in the fight against criminal organizations.

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