Biden to host president of Costa Rica at the White House

President Biden will host Costa Rica’s president at the White House next week to discuss migration and other issues, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced Wednesday.

Biden and Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles will meet Aug. 29 and “take steps to deepen and strengthen our cooperation on a range of key issues to deliver for our people,” Jean-Pierre said.

The two leaders plan to discuss how to build inclusive and sustainable economies and advance democratic values, according to the White House. They also plan to discuss promoting “safe and orderly migration in line with the principles of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection,” Jean-Pierre said, as well as address regional security challenges.

The visit is part of the Biden administration’s efforts to expand its relationships with Latin America as it tries to curb the flow of migrants coming into the U.S. at the southern border. Costa Rica has also faced an uptick in homicides recently, with a record 657 last year, according to The Associated Press.

In March, the White House announced a plan to provide $25 million in cybersecurity support to Costa Rica following major ransomware attacks last year that led Chaves to declare a state of emergency. Deputy U.S. national security adviser Anne Neuberger traveled to Costa Rica at the time to make the announcement.

Chaves took office in May 2022. First lady Jill Biden traveled to San José and met with him soon after as part of her four-country trip to Central and South America, which also had stops in Peru, Argentina and Panama.