The Minister of Science travels to Seoul and leaves an interim minister

The Presidency of the Republic authorized the departure from the country of the Minister of Science, Innovation, Technology, and Telecommunications, Paula Bogantes Zamora, to participate in the Global AI & Digital Summit 2026 in Seoul, South Korea, and appointed the Vice Minister of Telecommunications, Alonso Zeledón Carazo, as acting minister. The decision is contained in Agreement No. 095-P, signed on September 29, 2026, and published in La Gaceta No. 202 on Monday, October 26, 2026, in the Executive Branch Agreements section (reference IN202601134934).

The agreement is issued based on article 139, paragraph 1) of the Political Constitution, article 47, paragraph 3) of the General Law of Public Administration (Law No. 6227), and articles 7, 31, and 34 of the Travel and Transport Expense Regulations for Public Officials of the Comptroller General of the Republic. The presidential authorization was communicated via email on September 17, 2026, at 10:44 hours, through an official from the Office of the President, based on the request contained in official letter MICITT-DM-OF-1053-2026 dated September 1, 2026.

Who leads the ministry and for how long

Article 2 of the agreement designates Alonso Zeledón Carazo, Vice Minister of Telecommunications, identity card No. 1-1456-0032, as acting Minister of Science, Innovation, Technology, and Telecommunications. The appointment is effective from 19:00 hours on October 16, 2026, until 18:00 hours on October 24, 2026, the same period established in article 5 for the validity of the entire agreement.

• Official on tour: Paula Bogantes Zamora, identity card No. 1-0858-0771.
• Acting Minister: Alonso Zeledón Carazo, Vice Minister of Telecommunications.
• Substitution period: from October 16 to 24, 2026.
• Publication: a single time in the Official Gazette La Gaceta.

Agenda in Korea and World Bank support

According to the recitals, the summit is jointly organized by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOFE) and the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) of Korea, the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA), and the World Bank. The mission includes the Ministerial Meeting on Artificial Intelligence and Digital on October 19, plenary sessions and thematic tables on the 20th and 21st, and study visits on October 22.

The multilateral organization will present a case study on the Costa Rican experience during the 2022 ransomware crisis and requested a prologue or introductory message from the minister, as well as her participation in the launch. A meeting is also planned with the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) to move forward with the renewal of the current memorandum of understanding on cybersecurity. The itinerary requires leaving the country on October 16, with a layover in Europe of less than five hours, and arriving in Seoul on the 18th; the return begins on the 23rd and concludes in Costa Rica on October 24.

Cost to the State and accountability

Article 3 distributes the expenses: air transport and accommodation are covered by the World Bank as co-organizer, while MICITT assumes the per diems—excluding the accommodation component—and the travel insurance, with a maximum amount of US$573.

• Per diems: US$496 (four hundred ninety-six dollars).
• Travel insurance: US$77 (seventy-seven dollars).
• Medical coverage: INS Viajero group policy, assumed by MICITT.

Article 4 obligates the minister to submit, within eight calendar days from her return to the country, a report to her hierarchical superior detailing the activities carried out, the results obtained, and the benefits generated for the institution and for the country.

The agreement appears in the official gazette six days after the period it authorizes concluded, confirming that the tour was executed before its formal publication. For readers, the document outlines who exercised the leadership of MICITT for nine days, with what legal backing, and at what limited cost to the treasury: a ceiling of US$573, for a trip whose transport and lodging were financed by a third party.

Source: La Gaceta, No. 202 of October 26, 2026, Executive Branch — Agreements, pp. 2-3 (official reference: IN202601134934).