By Nicolás Boeglin
In the framework of a political strategy to strengthen relations with the Arab world, Costa Rica, under the administration of former President Oscar Arias (2006-2010), officially opened relations with the state of Palestine. A Foreign Ministry press release marking the occasion noted that “Costa Rica recognized the state of Palestine on February 5, 2008, honoring a historic debt, especially for having been one of the 33 countries that voted in favor of the resolution that approved the Partition Plan. Costa Rica believes that the international community should actively contribute to a solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by encouraging others to recognize [Palestine].”
The Culmination
From a national perspective, the recognition of Palestinian statehood in February 2008 concluded a process of engagement by Costa Rica towards the Arab world that included the opening of diplomatic relations with Egypt (Sept. 13, 2006), Bahrain (Sept. 22, 2006), Kuwait (Sept. 22, 2006), Jordan (Jan. 10, 2007), Lebanon (Aug. 24, 2007), Yemen (Sept. 4, 2007) and Oman (Dec. 20, 2007). Everything indicates that this policy has been discontinued, at least in the initial years, under the current administration of President Laura Chinchilla.
A Domino Effect
From an international perspective, Costa Rica’s 2008 recognition of Palestine helped boost support for Palestinian statehood in Latin America and other parts of the world. Following Costa Rica’s lead, Latin American countries responded almost in unison: Venezuela (April 2009), Dominican Republic (July 2009), Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay (December 2010), Peru and Chile (January 2011), Argentina (February 2011), Uruguay (March 2011), and, recently, El Salvador and Honduras (August 2011).
Other countries had already recognized Palestine, including Cuba (1988) and Nicaragua (1988). In a peculiar case, Mexico has hosted Palestinian representatives since 1975 and placed its own delegation in Ramallah since 2005. On Sept. 9, Belize announced it recognized Palestine and became the 126th state to do so.
WikiLeaks cables cited by former Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno from a United Nations meeting last March in Montevideo about Palestine and Latin America describe Costa Rica’s 2008 diplomatic gesture as “a well-reasoned rationale for recognizing the ‘State’ of Palestine, taking into account Costa Rica’s yes vote on U.N. Resolution 181, and the [government of Costa Rica’s] desire to lend a strong show of support to Abbas in the face of Hamas.”
Countries Distancing Themselves
Latin American countries that have maintained a distance with Palestine (and which have separated themselves even further in recent months) are Colombia, Guatemala and Panama. (Canada has too.) Oddly, these four countries also coincide with recent official visits to Costa Rica by regional heads of state. A letter written by two U.S. senators in August asked regional government officials (including those from Costa Rica, Colombia and Panama) to abstain during voting on a resolution in the U.N.’s next General Assembly. Costa Rica’s inclusion in the letter’s list of recipients raises questions.
Indecision
As was expected, some opinions published in local newspapers since mid-2011 have encouraged Costa Rica to vote against or abstain from voting on the resolution on Palestinian statehood. Nevertheless, in recent weeks, contradictory statements from top government officials from the Chinchilla administration demonstrate a certain level of indecisiveness and even improvisation in front of the press.
While the Foreign Ministry’s recent position of not disclosing criteria before knowing the exact text of the resolution is understandable, contradictions already pointed out by some, and the excessive prudence demonstrated by others, seem to indicate a possible change of position on the issue.
A small detail published in the daily La Nación (Sept. 10) that probably went unnoticed by many readers gives an idea of the profound unease by Costa Rica’s highest authority on the issue. The story noted, “Two journalists asked Laura Chinchilla questions in Cartago. [Chinchilla] granted them four minutes and wouldn’t say anything else about the government’s position on Palestinian statehood. The reporter insisted, but a bodyguard grabbed him by both arms and pulled him back. [Chinchilla] left calmly without answering.”
Nicolás Boeglin is a professor of international law at the University of Costa Rica.
