Costa Rica appoints first female ambassador to the UN
Maritza Chan Valverde will today take office as Costa Rican ambassador to the United Nations.
The country’s first woman ambassador to the UN, Chan Valverde brings years of experience on Costa Rican missions to the United States, the Organization of American States, and Costa Rica’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship. Her appointment comes at a critical moment for Costa Rican relations with other Latin American countries as a number of leftists have come into power in the region.
Despite differences in economic policies between newly elected president Rodrigo Chaves Robles and progressive leaders like Colombian president Gustavo Petro, Costa Rica will likely remain a leader in the region on climate action and migration despite concerns about Costa Rica’s ambiguous stance on carbon emissions and oil exploration.
In general, relations between Costa Rica and its regional neighbors are likely to remain positive, mainly due to a robust system of environmental laws and active engagement from citizens concerned with climate action that will allow ambitious climate policies to continue regardless of Chaves Robles’ ideologies. Migration into the country may also continue at the current pace, but expect Chaves Robles to increasingly call for neighboring countries like Nicaragua to address internal issues, possibly straining relations.
