Costa Rica is preparing for the inauguration of President-elect Laura Fernández-Delgado on Friday, an event expected to draw an influential group of world leaders, senior U.S. officials and international delegations for what the government describes as one of the country’s most significant political ceremonies.


According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the inauguration of the nation’s 50th president will welcome delegations from allied nations and international organizations, which began arriving in the country on Wednesday and Thursday ahead of the official ceremony.


Among the most prominent attendees are King Felipe VI of Spain, formally known as Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Grecia; Christopher Landau, deputy secretary of state for the U.S. Department of State; Kristi Noem, special envoy to the Shield of the Americas for the U.S. Department of State; Michael Kozak, senior official for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs; Ana Quintana-Lovett, deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs; Matthew Rhodes, chief of staff for the Office of the Counselor at the U.S. Department of State; and Melinda Hildebrand, U.S. ambassador to Costa Rica.


Also attending are Isaac Herzog, president of Israel and Ray Edward Harry Collins, Baron Collins of Highbury, deputy leader of the U.K. House of Lords.

Regional leaders scheduled to attend include José Raúl Mulino, president of Panama, Luis Abinader, president of the Dominican Republic, Nasry Asfura, president of Honduras, Bernardo Arévalo, president of Guatemala, José Antonio Kast, president of Chile, Gilmar Simon Pisas, prime minister of Curaçao and Michiel Godfried Eman, prime minister of Aruba.


Additional countries have designated ministers, consuls and other diplomatic representatives to attend the inauguration. Officials from international organizations, including the Organization of American States, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, the United Nations and the World Bank, are also expected to participate in the event.

Before Friday’s inauguration ceremony, Costa Rica will host an official state dinner Thursday evening at the National Theater in San José, beginning at 8 p.m.

The oath of office ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday at the National Stadium in San José, where Fernández will swear to uphold the Constitution and faithfully execute the duties of the presidency.

Following the swearing-in ceremony, Fernández is expected to deliver her inaugural address outlining the priorities and goals of her administration for the 2026-2030 term, with a strong emphasis on national unity.

Vice Presidents-elect Francisco Gamboa and Douglas Soto will take the oath of office immediately after Fernández.

Celebrations following the ceremony will include performances by folk music groups, the National Symphony Orchestra and tropical music bands, with festivities expected to continue into the evening.

Fernández is also scheduled to deliver a second speech later Friday at the National Convention Center in Heredia province at 3 p.m.

Costa Rica’s government declared inauguration day an official holiday for all nonessential government institutions. Public employees working in schools, universities, technical institutes, academies, banks, municipalities, clinics, ministries and other public agencies will receive a paid day off as part of the national observance.

Essential public services, including electricity, drinking water, transportation, public safety and health care, will continue operating normally during the holiday.

As part of the security operation, traffic police officers will be deployed around the National Stadium and La Sabana Metropolitan Park, according to the Ministry of Public Transport.

Authorities will close streets surrounding both locations beginning at 6 a.m. Friday. Drivers are being advised to avoid the area, although officials said traffic officers and warning signs will be in place to help manage vehicle flow.

All inauguration activities for President-elect Laura Fernández-Delgado will be broadcast live on the state-owned Channel 13, as well as local television channels 6, 7 and 8.

The Presidential House will also livestream the ceremony and related events on its social media platforms, including Facebook and X.

On Tuesday, President-elect Fernández announced that outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves-Robles will remain in government under her administration, taking on leadership roles in two key institutions.

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