Faced with an increase in violence linked to drug trafficking, Costa will increase its cooperation with the European Union in terms of security.
A forceful arrest of suspected drug traffickers in a neighborhood of Costa Rica’s capital. This scene is almost commonplace in the country, which has been fighting for several years against the growth of trafficking in cocaine and opioids, such as fentanyl.
“If it turns out that these people, who are at the head of some of these criminal organizations, are in possession of weapons or drugs, then yes, we will immediately arrest them“, explains Rodrigo Alfaro, police officer.
Last year, gang warfare sent the homicide rate up 40 percent to a record high. Costa Rica, which abolished its army more than 70 years ago, has few means to deal with this violence.
“We were not prepared to deal with drug trafficking that was so violent and killed so many people. There is a big difference between the resources available to the police and the enormous resources available to drug traffickers today“, explains Mario Zamora, Minister of Public Security.
Costa Rica and the European Union want to cooperate more closely on security issues…International support which would also reduce the quantity of cocaine arriving in Europe.
“We are also ready to help in terms of sharing what is being done in Europe. There will therefore be experts who will help the port authorities on the police side and also with the legal aspects“, explains Pierre-Louis LEMPER, EU Ambassador to Costa Rica.
While waiting to have more resources, the police are continuing their operations in the poor neighborhoods of the Capital. The government plans to increase the number of police officers by 10%. A late measure according to many experts, who fear that drug traffickers will take control of the country.
