[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 4712-4713]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            UNITED STATES-COSTA RICA BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the productive 
partnership between the United States and Costa Rica. I recently had 
the chance to meet with President Guillermo Solis, and I can attest 
that this is a bilateral relationship strengthened by Costa Rica's 
unwavering support for democracy and human rights, comprehensive 
economic relations, and a deep-rooted commitment to security and the 
environment. Since 1851, the United States has enjoyed formal 
diplomatic relations with Costa Rica, one of Latin America's most 
enduring democracies, and the close cooperation between our two 
countries is an example of how international engagement consistently 
advances U.S. national interests and national security.
  In recent years, Costa Rica has become one of the United States' most 
strategic security partners in Central America. In 2016, in response to 
the challenges of increasing cocaine trafficking in the region, 
President Solis's administration developed a security strategy that 
sets aggressive goals to expand its capacity to control Costa Rica's 
sovereign airspace and maritime territory. Last year, Costa Rica seized 
more than 24,000 kilos of cocaine that were ultimately bound to the 
United States. Despite a difficult fiscal situation, Costa Rica is 
projected to increase its investment in security by 20 percent in 2017. 
I commend the Obama administration's decision to donate two Island-
class cutters to the Costa Rican Coast Guard, which will greatly boost 
Costa Rica's capacity to combat the narcotics trade. This also serves 
as a reminder of the strategic value of the State Department's security 
cooperation at a time when the Trump administration is proposing 
shortsighted cuts to our foreign assistance budget.
  Additionally, I want to call attention to Costa Rica's collaboration 
with the United States in addressing the humanitarian challenges 
related to individuals fleeing violence in Guatemala, El Salvador, and 
Honduras. Between 2013 and 2016, the number of migrants from these 
three countries who have requested asylum in Costa Rica more than 
quadrupled, a dramatic increase that reflects the urgency of the 
situation in Central America. In a clear demonstration of President 
Solis's leadership on these issues, Costa Rica and the United States 
signed an agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for 
Refugees, UNHCR, to establish a relocation and processing facility in 
Costa Rica for up to 200 at-risk migrants at a time from Guatemala, El 
Salvador, and Honduras. This critical screening provides immediate 
protection for those most vulnerable and opens opportunities for these 
individuals to be relocated to third countries.

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  Our joint agreement with UNHCR is but one example of U.S. and Costa 
Rican collaboration at multilateral fora. Costa Rica has consistently 
voted with the United States at the United Nations on critical issues 
related to Syria, North Korea, and Ukraine. In the past year, Costa 
Rica has also used its voice and vote at the Organization of American 
States to express concern about the growing challenges to democracy and 
human rights in Venezuela.
  Furthermore, in August 2016, Costa Rica's commitment to human rights 
was on display when it became the first country to ratify the Inter-
American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related 
Forms of Intolerance--an important step toward a more just and 
egalitarian society within the Americas. The convention reinforces 
international standards on all forms of discrimination, reaffirms the 
commitment of member states of the OAS to the complete and 
unconditional eradication of racism, and takes a step forward in the 
legal definition of contemporary forms of racism.
  As a champion of environmental stewardship, Costa Rica has made great 
strides to develop renewable energy. Costa Rica recently set an 
ambitious carbon neutrality goal for 2021 and is well positioned to 
achieve this important objective. The country recently ran 75 days 
straight on renewable power, and, with continued foreign investment and 
U.S. diplomatic assistance, Costa Rica is on its way to becoming a 
carbon-neutral nation. I am hopeful that our diplomatic mission to 
Costa Rica will continue to support the country's interest in being a 
leader in the fight against climate change. Helping Costa Rica realize 
innovations in its power sector helps foster a broader strategic 
partnership with an important neighbor in our hemisphere.
  At a moment characterized by the Trump administration's isolationist 
rhetoric, it is critically important to recognize that the United 
States is safer when we cooperate with other countries in the region to 
fight the battle against organized crime and illegal drug-trafficking. 
At the same time, Costa Rica's cooperation with the United Nations to 
support orderly and lawful migration, its collaboration with its 
neighbors in the region, and its efforts to promote human rights 
regionally are worthy of our commendation. Costa Rica is a true partner 
of the United States, and it is imperative that we continue to 
strengthen and expand the cooperation between our two countries to 
promote more security, prosperity, and stability in Central America and 
across the hemisphere.

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