Officials stress 5G security and cyber cooperation; Rubio warns against untrusted vendors

President Rodrigo Chavez and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said cybersecurity and the secure rollout of 5G networks were key topics during the visit, and both framed vendor selection as a national security matter.

Chavez said the two governments discussed 5G and cybersecurity and invited the U.S. secretary to provide details. "First of all, we talked about 5 gs and the importance of having cyber security," Chavez said, noting the economic importance of telecommunications.

Rubio praised Costa Rica’s "staunch position" of allowing only trusted vendors to participate in 5G procurement. "5G is gonna be critical technology for the development of all of the industries that are gonna drive the 21st century, but it has to be secure," he said. Rubio warned that companies backed by foreign governments can pose threats, including coercion and attempts to infiltrate government agencies.

Both officials said the United States will continue cooperation to strengthen telecommunications security and broader cyber defenses. Rubio cited large numbers of cyberattacks faced annually and said technical assistance and intelligence sharing would be areas of continued collaboration, though no new technical agreements were announced during the press event.

The officials did not specify which firms are excluded from procurement or provide a timeline for any procurement decisions; they framed the discussion as reinforcing shared priorities on cybersecurity.