Published on Wednesday, March 11, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff and wire services

President Rodrigo Chaves-Robles attended the swearing-in ceremony of José Antonio Kast, who took office as Chile’s 38th president. The transfer-of-power ceremony took place on Wednesday at the National Congress of Chile.

Chaves traveled to Chile, accompanied by President-elect Laura Fernández-Delgado, First Lady Signe Zeikate and Foreign Affairs Minister Arnoldo André-Tinoco.

The Costa Rican delegation arrived in Chile after participating in the Shield of the Americas Summit held Saturday at the Trump National Doral Miami Golf Resort in the United States.

 

Chaves and his delegation met with Kast on Tuesday, one day before the inauguration, at the Cousiño Palace in Santiago. According to a statement from the Presidential House, the meeting sought to reaffirm the friendship between the two countries and strengthen cooperation for the benefit of both nations.

Costa Rica president was among dozens of world leaders attending the ceremony, including Argentina's President Javier Milei, Panama's President José Raúl Mulino, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and Spain's King Felipe VI.  Other guests included Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado.

Kast founded the Republican Party of Chile in 2019. The right-wing conservative leader won a landslide victory in the December 2025 presidential election against government-backed communist candidate Jeannette Jara, campaigning on promises to fight crime and curb illegal immigration.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX), Chile and Costa Rica maintain a strong bilateral relationship built on more than 165 years of diplomatic ties. The two countries have also maintained a Free Trade Agreement in effect since 2002 and cooperate closely on environmental protection, democracy and human rights.

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What areas of cooperation should Costa Rica and Chile strengthen through new agreements? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com