Costa Rica has long sold itself as Latin America’s “green” poster child, but the tiny country known for its rainforest and sparkling beaches finds itself under growing development pressure. (See Centerpiece—this issue.) Carlos Manuel Rodríguez has played an important role in the country’s conservation efforts for over a decade, first as director of protected areas, then as environment vice minister and finally as environment minister from 2002 to 2006. Now in the private sector, he is Conservation International’s regional vice president and director of the Center for Biodiversity Conservation for Mexico and Central America. A lawyer with degrees from the University of Costa Rica and Southern Methodist University, Rodríguez was recently in Lima, Peru, for a conference on the creation of a Peruvian environment ministry. Afterward, he spoke with EcoAméricas correspondent Barbara Fraser about Costa Rica’s efforts to build—and preserve—its green image. [Log in to read more]

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