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Laura Fernández sworn in as Costa Rica president, keeping outgoing president in 2 high-profile posts

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — Laura Fernández was sworn in Friday as president of Costa Rica alongside her predecessor, outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump who will serve dual roles as her minister of the presidency and minister of finance.

Fernández, a political scientist who is the second woman to lead the Central American country, promises a seamless continuation of the political movement established by Chaves. His appointments in the new administration grant him an additional four years of legal immunity, shielding him from several investigations into alleged corruption led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.

One of the primary responsibilities of Costa Rica’s minister of the presidency is to mediate between the executive branch and the Legislative Assembly.

The move to keep Chaves in the administration is unprecedented in Costa Rican politics and will offer the outgoing leader incredible sway over the next government. It marks another bold move by Chaves’ political movement, which has tested the Central American nation’s democratic norms.

During his presidency, Chaves faced two unsuccessful legislative attempts to strip his immunity. The first occurred in September 2025, involving allegations that he pressured officials to favor a former adviser. The second followed in December, when the Supreme Electoral Tribunal sought an inquiry into his alleged “political belligerence” during the electoral campaign.

In an equally atypical move, Fernández has appointed her second vice president, Douglas Soto, as ambassador to Washington. This strategic placement aims to bolster the administration’s ties with the Trump presidency, using a direct and influential diplomatic link.

Kristi Noem, U.S. special envoy to a coalition of countries announced by Trump to combat regional crime, was in San Jose on Friday to represent the Trump administration at the inauguration.

She previously met with Chaves in March to finalize a deal in which Costa Rica receives up to 25 U.S. deportees weekly.

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Beijing bans 4 New Zealand lawmakers from entering China because they visited Taiwan

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Beijing banned four New Zealand lawmakers from traveling to China for a year and demanded they apologize because they visited Taiwan on a parliamentary trip, according to a message from the Chinese embassy conveyed via parliamentary officials and shown to The Associated Press on Thursday. China has hit lawmakers from other countries with sanctions related to contact with Taiwan before, but it's the first time for New Zealand parliamentarians, the government in Wellington said. Beijing has been increasing pressure in recent years on the democratically governed island that it claims as its own territory. Two lawmakers reached by the AP on Thursday rejected the demand for an apology, while the other two could not be immediately reached. New Zealand's government said it would express concern about the travel bans to Beijing. The elected officials visited Taipei in May, as New Zealand parliamentarians have done “for decades,” a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.
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