Costa Rica minister fired for attending Trump meeting without telling president

Costa Rica's President Laura Fernandez on Thursday fired her foreign minister for attending a meeting on Latin America's security led by US President Donald Trump without telling her.

Fernandez said that she should have been the one to attend the meeting of Trump's anti-cartel "Shield of the Americas" alliance in New York, and that Foreign Minister Manuel Tovar's failure to consult her caused "great strategic damage."

The meeting took place Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Tovar attended "without giving prior notice or informing" the president, a conservative Trump ally, of his participation, Costa Rica's government said.

The "Shield of the Americas" is a coalition of pro-US administrations convened by Trump to combat drug trafficking and organized crime across the region.

At Tuesday's meeting, 15 coalition members issued a joint statement declaring their intent to impose asset freezes and visa restrictions and seek criminal liability for members and supporters of 24 criminal organizations.

Trump at the meeting referred to drug cartels as "the ISIS of the Western Hemisphere."

Costa Rica, a tourist haven that has long been seen as a beacon of stability in Latin America, is grappling with a surge in drug-related violence.

Tovar avoided commenting on his dismissal and simply thanked Fernandez, in power since last May, for including him in her cabinet.