El Salvador President Nayib Bukele arrives in Costa Rica for state visit

President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador arrived in Costa Rica on the afternoon of January 13 to begin a state visit focused primarily on security cooperation and bilateral ties. He landed around 5:30 p.m. local time at Juan Santamaría International Airport and was received with diplomatic honors by Costa Rican officials including the vice-president, the foreign minister, and other government representatives.

The visit occurs amid Costa Rica’s 2026 presidential election campaign, just weeks before voting — prompting attention and debate about its timing and potential political implications.