Appointed minister of foreign affairs as of May 8, 2026, Manuel Tovar previously served as minister of foreign trade from May 2022 to May 2026, a period during which he led Costa Rica’s strategy for integration into the global economy and efforts to attract foreign direct investment. During his tenure, the country strengthened its presence in international markets, concluded new trade agreements, including with Ecuador, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel, and advanced its accession to the CPTPP, DEPA, and ACCTS. He also drove sustained export growth and achieved record levels of foreign direct investment.

He also served as chairman of PROCOMER, where he actively promoted export diversification and reinforced Costa Rica’s positioning as a competitive destination for investment.

Throughout his public service career, he has held key positions in international trade policy, including representative and Head of Costa Rica’s Delegation to the OECD (2016–2021) and Special Envoy to the OECD (2013–2015). He led Costa Rica’s OECD accession process and was subsequently appointed the country’s high-level focal point to the organization.

In June 2025, he chaired the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting. He also served as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Trade and Investment (2023–2024) and participated in the World Economic Forum. Mr. Tovar is also a recipient of the state decoration “Order of Merit, 2nd Class,” awarded by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A lawyer by training, he holds a master’s degree in international law and international relations from the Complutense University of Madrid and is currently a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Salamanca. Manuel Tovar speaks Spanish, English, French, and Italian. He is married and has one daughter.