US Deputy Assistant Secretary stands out Costa Rica as a "great partner"

The US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, John Feeley, met with the President of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solís, noting this Central American country as an "excellent" economic, commercial and international partner.

In the framework of a three-day visit, Feeley met with Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solís, to discuss bilateral relations, security in Central America and themes that emerged in the United Nations General Assembly.

The visit is part of an official tour of Central America that began in Belize and continued to Costa Rica from where it will travel to Panama.

For the president Solis, this visit allows "upholding the right time" in relations between the two countries.

The president of Costa Rica also noted that less than a month ago also visited Costa Rica the head of the United States Southern Command, John Kelly, who discussed the country's efforts to combat drug trafficking.

As part of its agenda in Costa Rica, Feeley met with the Minister for Justice and Peace, Cristina Ramirez, and visited a prison in Costa Rica to assess progress on prisons.

The US official said he was "shocked and excited" to see the changes that the Minister is taking place at the country's prisons and said that he could see the prisoners to share with their families what they described as "neighborhood party".

The secretary said that he returns with "learned lessons" and that the collaboration of the United States to "improve, modernize and humanize the penitentiary system in Costa Rica" will continue.