Costa Rica was represented at the OTI Festival 1998 with the song "", written by Edwin Bonillas Rojas, and performed by Ana Yancy Contreras and Luis Duvalier Quirós. The Costa Rican participating broadcaster, (Teletica), selected its entry through a televised national final. In addition, (Repretel) was the host broadcaster and staged the event at the in San José. The song, which qualified automatically from the semi-final, was one of the finalists.
(Teletica) held a national final to select its entry for the 27th edition of the OTI Festival.
The broadcaster opened a song application period with a deadline of 15 September 1998, which had to be extended until 18 September. Of the 87 songs received, seven were shortlisted for the televised final. The selection committee was composed of Alfredo Moreno, Ricardo Sáenz, Willy Flores, Alexis Gamboa, José Bustos, Carlos Escalante, Mario Campos, and Rodrigo Maffioli. They considered three factors for the selection: composition, performance, and good arrangements.
Teletica held the National OTI Festival on Monday 12 October 1998, beginning at 20:20 CST (02:20+1 UTC), at El Greco hall of the San José Palacio Hotel in San José. It was hosted by and LucÃÂa Alvarado; and was broadcast on . Groups Gaviota, Claroscuro, and Merecumbé made guest performances.
The jury was composed of Alberto Zúñiga, Luis ÃÂngel Castro, Willie Flores, Pigo Maffioli, Marvin Araya, and Mario Campos. Before the event, the jury disqualified the song "" because its composers had informed the competition organizers that they were going to register it in another contest.
The winner was the song "", written by Edwin Bonillas Rojas, and performed by Ana Yancy Contreras and Luis Duvalier Quirós.
On 13âÂÂ14 November 1998, the OTI Festival was held at the in San José, hosted by (Repretel), and broadcast live throughout Ibero-America. As the host country, Costa Rica had a guaranteed place in the final; where Ana Yancy Contreras and Luis Duvalier Quirós performed "" in position 4, with conducting the event's orchestra. At the end, only the top three places were announced, and the Costa Rican entry was not one of them, remaining with the title of finalist.