King Felipe VI, accompanied by the Secretary of State for Ibero-America and the Caribbean and Spanish in the World, Susana Sumelzo, attended yesterday the inauguration ceremony of the elected president of Costa Rica, Laura Fernández Delgado.
Laura Fernández Delgado, 39 years old, becomes the second female president in the history of Costa Rica, after Laura Chinchilla. The candidate from the outgoing president’s party, Rodrigo Chaves, won with more than 48 percent of the votes in the presidential elections.
During his stay in Costa Rica, the king carried out an intense agenda of meetings, which began with a reception for the Spanish community in Costa Rica, where he met with its members at the official residence of the Spanish ambassador in San José. Subsequently, Don Felipe moved to the Art Museum, where he held a meeting with the elected president, Laura Fernández Delgado, with whom he discussed bilateral relations and the historical, economic, and cultural ties that unite both countries.
Next, Don Felipe went to the Presidential House of Costa Rica to meet with the President of the Republic, Rodrigo Chaves. During the meeting, they addressed matters of common interest in the Ibero-American sphere and reaffirmed the close relationship between Spain and Costa Rica.
During the day, His Majesty the King also held a bilateral meeting with the President of the Republic of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, accompanied by the respective delegations.
In the afternoon, Don Felipe attended the dinner offered by the president and the first lady of the Republic of Costa Rica at the National Theater in honor of the heads of state and government attending the presidential handover.
The next day, His Majesty the King began the day with a bilateral meeting with the President of the Republic of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, with whom he discussed issues of bilateral and regional interest, attended by the delegations of both countries.
Subsequently, Don Felipe attended the solemn ceremony of the Presidential Handover at the National Stadium, where Laura Fernández took her oath of office as president of the Republic of Costa Rica and received the Presidential Band.
Don Felipe represented Spain at this ceremony, within the framework of the traditional institutional presence of our country in the government transitions in Ibero-American countries. Since he became king, this is Don Felipe’s twenty-second participation in the inauguration of an Ibero-American leader. Previously, as Prince of Asturias, he represented Spain at countless ceremonies.
The ceremony was attended by, among other leaders, the presidents of Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Israel.
