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Posted on 06/16/2026 5:22:55 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Costa Rica was pulled into a U.S. political dustup after Kristi Noem named our country, along with El Salvador, as one of Washington’s closest allies in South America, apparently overlooking that both nations are in Central America.
The exchange came during a Newsmax interview with Greta Van Susteren in a segment posted June 11. Van Susteren asked Noem, “Who’s our best friend in South America at this point?” Noem answered by pointing first to El Salvador, citing migration cooperation and third-country agreements, before also naming Ecuador, Argentina and Costa Rica.
The answer quickly spread and the mistake turned what was meant to be a discussion of U.S. alliances into a geography backlash, especially because Noem was speaking in her new role tied to Washington’s regional security strategy.
Noem, the former U.S. homeland security secretary, is now serving as U.S. special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, a Trump administration initiative focused on migration, organized crime and drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere. In the interview, she framed the initiative as a way to build closer security cooperation with governments aligned with U.S. priorities.
The comment also put Costa Rica and El Salvador back in the spotlight because both our countries have become important pieces of the Trump administration’s Latin America policy.
In Costa Rica, Noem’s connection is tied to a March 2026 migration agreement signed during her transition from homeland security secretary into the Shield of the Americas envoy role. The agreement, signed by then-President Rodrigo Chaves and Noem, allows Costa Rica to receive up to 25 third-country nationals expelled from the United States each week.
Costa Rican officials said the arrangement does not require the country to accept every proposed transfer. Public Security Minister Mario Zamora said Costa Rica would process arrivals under national migration law and coordinate assistance with the International Organization for Migration.
The first group of 25 deportees arrived at Juan Santamaría International Airport in April. Costa Rican migration authorities said they included citizens of Albania, Cameroon, China, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Kenya and Morocco. Under the agreement, migrants receive initial assistance, including food and lodging, while they decide whether to seek a legal path in Costa Rica or enter a voluntary return program.
El Salvador has been even more central to the U.S. deportation push. In March 2025, Noem visited El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT, where Venezuelans deported from the United States were being held. The visit became one of the most visible symbols of the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policy and drew criticism from human rights groups overdue process and detention conditions.
Noem’s answer appeared intended to praise countries cooperating with Washington on migration and security. Instead, critics focused on the regional error. As of yet, Noem had not issued a public correction in the sources reviewed.
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Damn, this is a great day!!
All the world’s problems must be solved if this is all they got to write about.
Great day indeed!
Might as well be South America.
Who cares?
Much ado about nuthin’. The more she gets dissed and the more John Thune looks like a wuss..get where I’m going?
Imagine the international outrage if Obama had said something like this, along with his Marine Corpse and 57 states remarks.
I can’t imagine it either. Only non leftists make unforgivable slip-ups.
Kind of sad that Kristi Noem is going to have to
‘get lost’ politically, at least for a couple of years.
It’s unfortunate, because she did a great job assisting ICE for the first few months of crackdown. She was laser focused.
Then, came all the Lewandowski “Work Husband” rumors, followed by her husband’s ‘problematic and bizarre’ fixations.
It’s going to take a while before people can see her abilities without also seeing the controversies.
She may end up back in the private sector.
Like with Horseshoes and Hand Grenades: ‘Close enough’.
I kind of consider anything south of Mexico to be “South America” too, for all practical purposes..
I agree. And maybe people should think before they post an article.
The article also needs clarification as to in what sense the term “ally” is used, because Costa Rica has no army.
From Article 12 of the Costa Rican Constitution:
“Se proscribe el Ejército como institución permanente.”
The institution of a standing army is proscribed.
Boo freakin’ hoo! Half of American HS Students cant find either one on a map!............
They do.
It's what they're thinking that's the problem.
Like Ilhan Omar and World War eleven????
I am amazed that she’s even in congress with her complete lack of knowledge.
But of course, the country that comes first for her is Somalia and she hates America…..Most demoncrats are anti-American, anti-Christian…….and idiots.
This is no good without some Costa Rica/ Norm beach photos
Imagine the international outrage if Obama had said something like this, along with his Marine Corpse and 57 states remarks.
***************************
Or if he said something like Austrians speak Austrian?
Imagine the international outrage if Obama had said something like this, along with his Marine Corpse and 57 states remarks.
***************************
Or if he said something like Austrians speak Austrian?
Gosh...I never knew Central America was a continent!?
Central America is part of North America.
Yes, I know ;-)
Imagine the international outrage if Obama had said something like this, along with his Marine Corpse and 57 states remarks.
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