Marriage equality will soon be a reality for LGBT+ couples in Costa Rica, as the country’s top court revealed that same-sex marriage will be legalised in May 2020.

The country’s national newspaper La Gaceta revealed on Monday that Section 6 of Article 14 of Costa Rica’s Family Code will no longer be in effect.

The Constitutional Chamber of Costa Rica declared the country’s legislation that defines marriage as the union between a man and a woman is unconstitutional.

In a tweet supporting the country’s move to introduce marriage equality, Costa Rica’s president, Carlos Alvardao Quesada said:

“I have coordinated with the @imprenal_cr (National Print of Costa Rica). The ruling on the equal marriage of the Constitutional Chamber will be published in the Judicial Bulletin No. 219 of Monday, November 26 of this year. It is only a matter of time before full equality of rights becomes a reality.”

He coordinado con la @imprenal_cr. La sentencia sobre el matrimonio igualitario de la Sala Constitucional, será publicada en el Boletín Judicial N° 219 del lunes 26 de noviembre del presente año. Es solo cuestión de tiempo para que la igualdad plena de derechos sea una realidad.

— Carlos Alvarado Quesada (@CarlosAlvQ) November 23, 2018

In a statement, Luis Salazar, the country’s LGBT+ Affairs Commissioner said:

“On May 26 2020, equal marriage will come into force in Costa Rica. It will be a Tuesday. Just the anteroom to celebrate the month of LGBTI pride in June. We will reach the Bicentennial era being a more dignified and more egalitarian country.”

Costa Rica’s move to introduce marriage equality came in response to a ruling given by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on January 8 2018. The organisation urged countries in its jurisdiction to comply with the American Convention on Human Rights, in which LGBT+ couples are entitled to a number of rights, including marriage equality. Elsewhere in Central America, the Government of Panama has indicated that they would move to implement marriage for same-sex couples.

Come 2020, Costa Rica will become the seventh country in the Americas in which same-sex couples are legally allowed to marry nationwide, joining Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, the United States and Uruguay. Same-sex marriage is legal in some jurisdictions of Mexico. Other countries expected to follow in Costa Rica’s footsteps following the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ ruling include Chile, Panama and Ecuador.