Rodrigo Chaves, president of Costa Rica, assured that the migration crisis that Venezuela is going through is not something new for them, because their country for years has openly received waves of migrants from neighboring nations.
“Costa Rica has been a country that traditionally in history has opened its arms to waves of emigrants. We have always been open, Venezuela is not new to us,” she said in an interview for EFE when asked about how Costa Rica deals with migration on the continent.
“We are 5 million inhabitants, of which approximately 600,000 are Nicaraguans, we have opened our doors and will continue to do so,” he assured.
But he acknowledged that “we have significant pressure on the cost of public services, education, health, because those who come need the services that every human being needs and we have to think very well how long we can continue with that policy of openness that is natural. for Costa Ricans.
“Hopefully some other friendly countries that see us as an example will help cover those costs,” he said.
Costa Rica will finally attend the IX Summit of the Americas because it is the most correct thing to do in order to address the delicate international situation and promote the integration of Latin America, said Chaves.
“We have decided to attend, it was a decision that we thought a lot about, but on balance we believe that going to the summit is the right thing for our country,” said the president of Costa Rica, who is participating in the Davos Economic Forum, in his first trip abroad a few weeks after taking office on May 8.
The controversy surrounding the next Summit of the Americas, to be held in Los Angeles (USA) from June 6 to 10, began as a result of the apparent exclusion of the United States from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, and some countries of the region have expressed their disagreement with it.
Chaves will go, he said, to contribute to the debate on “the global situation, inflation, food shortages, fuel prices, and the need to better integrate Latin America so that we can work together, and not against each other.” ».
He also considers it important to see “how to increase trade and reverse any temptation for countries to isolate themselves from the rest of the world.”
