Costa Rica has long been celebrated as a beacon of political stability, environmental stewardship, and democratic governance in Central America. Yet today it confronts mounting economic, social, and environmental policy challenges that call for a nuanced and forward-thinking response. 

Dial in on Thursday, December 11, at 11 am PT for a critical examination of the pressures shaping Costa Rica’s political and economic trajectory. This conversation will explore the implications for regional partners and discuss strategies to support Costa Rica’s continued stability and success. Participants will hear from Ambassador (ret.) Cynthia Telles, Former Ambassador to Costa Rica and Pacific Council Board Director, alongside Dr. Jerrold D. Green, Interim President & CEO of the Pacific Council.

Why it’s important:

• Similar to other countries in the region, Costa Rica is facing an increase in institutional tensions, democratic weakening, and disinformation. 
• There is concern among Nicaraguan refugees that the Nicaraguan government is running intelligence operations in Costa Rica as a way to monitor opposition abroad. This has the potential to disrupt diplomatic and trade relationships between both countries, but remains largely unaddressed by Costa Rican leadership. 
• In September, there was an effort to strip President Chavez of political immunity to prosecute him on charges of corruption for allegedly interfering with the upcoming February 2026 elections. This was the first time a vote of this nature occurred in Costa Rican history. 

Please send questions in advance to events@pacificcouncil.org.

To register for this webinar, visit the Zoom Registration Page.

Guest Speaker

Ambassador (ret.) Cynthia Ann Telles was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica on January 30, 2022. 

Ambassador Telles was previously on the faculty of the UCLA School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, and was the Director of the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute Spanish-Speaking Psychosocial Clinic, where she was responsible for managing the clinical operation of its model psychiatric clinic, as well as the training program, research, and budget. Ambassador Telles serves on the Board of Directors of General Motors Co., Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, the California Community Foundation (Board Chair), the Pacific Council, the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County, and LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. She has also served on the Board of Directors of The California Endowment (Board Chair), the Public Policy Institute of California, Pitzer College, the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (Board Chair), and Rosalyn Carter's Mental Health Task Force, The Carter Center. 

Recently, she was appointed by President Obama to the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars. She served as Commissioner of the City of Los Angeles for 13 years. Between 2004-2006, she was the Vice President of the Board of Library Commissioners and previously was elected President of the Commission on the Status of Women. Ambassador Telles was also elected Vice President of the City of Los Angeles Ethics Commission and served as a member of the Commission on Children, Youth, and Their Families. 

During the Clinton Administration, she was appointed by Secretary Shalala to the National Advisory Council of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Previously, she served on the advisory group to the Presidential Task Force on Health Care Reform and on the Regional Selection Panel for the White House Fellows Program. Throughout her career, Ambassador Telles has received many awards and commendations from organizations and governmental entities across the nation and was also selected by the Hispanic Business Magazine (2006) as one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the Nation. 

Presider

Dr. Jerrold D. Green is the Global Advisor to Cedars-Sinai Hospital, a Los Angeles-based healthcare organization, and a Senior Fellow at the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations. He is also the Interim President and CEO of the Pacific Council on International Policy, a position he previously occupied for 16 years while serving as a Research Professor of Communication, Business, and International Relations at the University of Southern California. Green was a Partner at Best Associates in Dallas, Texas, a merchant banking firm with global operations. He also occupied senior management positions at the RAND Corporation, where he was awarded the RAND Medal for Excellence. Dr. Green has a B.A. (summa cum laude) from the University of Massachusetts/Boston, as well as an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Chicago. His academic career began at the University of Michigan, and he subsequently joined the University of Arizona, where he became a Professor of Political Science and Sociology as well as Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies.

Green has lived and worked in Egypt, where he was a Fulbright Fellow, Iran, and Israel. He has been a visiting fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Science's West Asian Studies Center in Beijing; a visiting lecturer at the Havana-based Center for African and Middle East Studies (CEAMO), a fellow at the Australian Defense College, and delivered papers at conferences sponsored by the Iranian Institute of International Affairs in Tehran. Dr. Green led three U.S. Department of Defense-sponsored fact-finding delegations to Afghanistan, one to Iraq, and has served as an observer at the legal proceedings at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, conducted by the U.S. Department of Defense.

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To register for this webinar, visit the Zoom Registration Page.