Ana Elena Pinto Lizano, new Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship

The President of the Republic, Laura Fernández Delgado, dismissed Indiana de Fátima Trejos Gallo and appointed Ana Elena Pinto Lizano as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship, through Agreement No. 086-P. The decision was published in La Gaceta No. 195 on Thursday, October 15, 2026, in the Executive Branch Agreements section, and is effective as of that same date. The official document bears the reference IN202601132935.

The agreement was issued based on Article 139, subsection 1), of the Political Constitution, which empowers the Executive Branch to appoint and remove government ministers. It was issued at the Presidency of the Republic, in San José, on the fifth day of October 2026, and its Article 3 sets its entry into force on October 15.

The change closes a brief interim period. According to the recitals of the agreement itself, through Agreement No. 081-P of September 24, 2026, published in Supplement No. 130 to La Gaceta No. 184 of September 30, 2026, Trejos Gallo —then Minister of Foreign Trade— had been appointed acting minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship. The new agreement removes her from that position and designates Pinto Lizano in her place.

The three articles of the agreement

Agreement No. 086-P consists of three articles:

• Article 1 — Dismisses Indiana de Fátima Trejos Gallo, identity card No. 109490533, from the position of acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship.
• Article 2 — Appoints Ana Elena Pinto Lizano, identity card No. 110180648, to the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship.
• Article 3 — Provides that the agreement is effective as of October fifteen, two thousand twenty-six.

Basis and procedure

The recitals justify the measure in three points: that Trejos Gallo had been appointed acting minister through Agreement No. 081-P; that it is necessary to remove her from the position; and that it is necessary to appoint Pinto Lizano to the portfolio.

The publication was made in the Executive Branch Agreements section of La Gaceta No. 195, year CXLVIII, corresponding to Thursday, October 15, 2026, on page 2 of the official gazette. The text appears signed by Laura Fernández Delgado and includes the mention “1 time” typical of official publications.

Scope of the change

The portfolio of Foreign Affairs and Worship leads the country’s foreign policy. With Agreement No. 086-P, Pinto Lizano assumes effective leadership of the ministry, while Trejos Gallo leaves the acting role she had held since late September.

The handover occurs three weeks after Trejos Gallo was appointed to the position on an interim basis. During that period, the acting minister herself signed ministry resolutions, such as No. 269-2026 published in La Gaceta No. 193 on October 13, 2026, regarding the delegation of the signing of diplomatic and service passports.

The appointment reorganizes the leadership of the foreign policy of the Fernández Delgado government as of October 15, with Pinto Lizano heading the portfolio and with immediate effect on the country’s diplomatic representation.

Source: La Gaceta, No. 195 of October 15, 2026, Executive Branch Agreements, p. 2 (official reference: IN202601132935).