Arianna Kohan, research analyst at Hxagon: “The meeting focused heavily on immigration and security, resulting in the United States pledging more than $36 million to Costa Rica. The U.S. State Department will funnel more than $12 million to the Central American country through international partners to address migration issues, keeping in mind the more than 240,000 asylum seekers in the country and the thousands of migrants who enter the country daily en route to the United States. An additional $24 million will be sent to Costa Rica to improve policing and expand crime prevention programs, which will strengthen the country’s security apparatus and help combat organized crime. The meeting also solidified Costa Rica’s position as a counter to China in the technological space; through a recently announced partnership under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, Costa Rica is poised to become a key partner in the manufacturing of semiconductor chips, a key component in many modern technologies, including in energy and defense. Intel recently announced a $1.2 billion investment in Costa Rica over the next two years to help the country increase its technological engineering capabilities. The strengthening of…”