SAN JOSÉ / MIAMI — Foreign Minister Manuel Tovar has reaffirmed that Costa Rica will keep its diplomatic relations with Cuba suspended until the island nation “recovers its freedom,” explicitly ruling out external pressure from the United States in making the decision.

In an interview with the Miami Herald, Tovar emphasized the moral stance of the Costa Rican government:

“Costa Rica will no longer lend itself to legitimizing a tyrannical and despotic regime that has deprived its people of the most fundamental freedom of a democracy.”

The official diplomatic distancing was originally initiated on March 18 under former President Rodrigo Chaves. While the move initially involved the recall of diplomatic staff and the closure of the Costa Rican embassy in Havana, Tovar clarified that the action constitutes a complete severance of bilateral political ties. Consular services for Costa Rican citizens in Cuba have since been redirected to the embassy in Panama.

Tovar noted that Costa Rica had previously severed ties with Havana between 1961 and 2009. The restoration of relations during former President Óscar Arias’s administration was characterized by Tovar as “a foreign policy mistake.”

Cuba Denies Formal Notification

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba issued a sharp response, calling Tovar’s statements “surprising” and noting that no official notification of a formal diplomatic rupture had been delivered to Havana six months after the initial March announcement.

Cuban officials pointed out that former Foreign Minister Arnoldo André Tinoco had previously stated that closing embassies did not imply a formal breakup of diplomatic relations.

“The fact that the current Foreign Minister of Costa Rica has chosen to share information about an alleged rupture with a South Florida media outlet suggests an act of subordination to U.S. policy against Cuba,” the Cuban Ministry stated.

Historic Shift at the United Nations

The diplomatic rift coincides with a historic shift in Costa Rica’s voting record at the United Nations regarding the U.S. economic, commercial, and financial embargo against Cuba, first established in 1962 under President John F. Kennedy.

On July 7, 2026, Costa Rica voted for the first time against reopening the UN General Assembly debate on the embargo. Costa Rica joined a minority group including the United States, Israel, Argentina, Paraguay, Czechia, Ukraine, North Macedonia, and Morocco. Although 136 nations voted to reopen the debate, Costa Rica’s vote marked a significant departure from its historical position of supporting resolutions against the embargo (and abstaining in 2025).

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