Costa Rica inaugurates high-security prison to combat gang violence

On Wednesday, Costa Rican President Laura Fernandez inaugurated a new high-security prison facility near San Jose, marking a significant shift toward a tougher security strategy against organized crime. Located within the La Reforma complex in San Rafael de Alajuela, the facility, named the Center for High-Security Confinement of Organized Crime (CACCO), cost approximately 35 million dollars to construct.

The prison is designed to hold 5,100 inmates under a restrictive regime similar to models popularized by El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele. Prisoners will be subject to strict visitation rules, wear orange uniforms, and be limited to one hour of outdoor exercise per day. The first inmates are scheduled to be transferred to the facility by the end of this month.

Historically, Costa Rica was considered one of the safest countries in Latin America, serving primarily as a transit point for narcotics. However, a recent surge in violence has prompted the government to adopt more aggressive policing measures. President Fernandez is scheduled to travel to El Salvador this Friday to further study their security practices. This development follows similar trends in countries such as Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia, which are also implementing more stringent penal strategies to counter rising criminal activity.