Costa Rica withdraws from OAS LGBTI Core Group.

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Costa Rica withdraws from OAS LGBTI Core Group.

2026 April 7

The Costa Rican government announced its withdrawal from the LGBTI Core Group of the Organization of American States (OAS), ending a decade of active participation in the regional forum dedicated to advancing the human rights of LGBTIQ+ people. Foreign Minister Arnoldo André confirmed the decision, which was formally communicated to the OAS by Ambassador Alejandra Solano.

The government justified the move by claiming that Costa Rica has already reached a sufficient level of normative protection for minorities and that diplomatic resources should be redirected to issues considered more urgent. The announcement came less than a month before the end of the Chaves administration and while Costa Rica holds the presidency of the OAS Permanent Council (April 1 to June 30, 2026).

LGBTIQA+ civil society organizations rejected the decision, calling the government’s claim of “full protection” for minorities false and demanding evidence. ANEP Diversidad, Frente Amplio and other groups described the withdrawal as a regression in Costa Rica’s historical role as a regional reference on human rights, and pointed out that LGBTIQA+ people in the country continue to face violence, exclusion and discrimination every day.

News article in Spanish: