[AFP]
[AFP]

Costa Rica has opened a maximum-security prison modeled on El Salvador's mega-facility, as the Central American nation moves to crack down on surging drug trafficking and gang violence. The new complex can hold up to 5,100 high-risk inmates in strict isolation.

The Costa Rican government held an inauguration ceremony Wednesday for the Center for High-Security Isolation of Organized Crime, known by its Spanish acronym CACCO, in San Rafael de Alajuela near the capital San José, according to AFP and Reuters.

Built within the existing La Reforma correctional complex, the facility covers a total floor area of 31,000 square meters and is divided into five zones, each holding up to 1,020 inmates. At full capacity, the 5,100-inmate facility would house roughly 20 percent of Costa Rica's entire prison population.

The design and operational model drew heavily from El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT, which opened in 2023. The Salvadoran government also assisted in designing the facility and establishing its management framework.

The prison is intended to concentrate the leadership of criminal organizations, contract killers and high-risk inmates who continue to direct gang operations from behind bars.

Inmates will wear orange uniforms and be allowed only one hour of outdoor activity per day. Strict rules will govern family visits.

Surveillance cameras capable of 24-hour monitoring and access-control systems have been installed throughout the facility. The prison is designed to block outside communication devices such as mobile phones and prevent criminal organizations from continuing to operate from within.

The government plans to begin transferring inmates later this month, with the process carried out in stages. About 2,500 inmates are expected to be housed there by the end of this year.

President Laura Fernández said at the inauguration that the government would respond forcefully to crime and that the new facility would help the state reassert control over criminal organizations. She also thanked Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, saying El Salvador had played an important role in the fight against crime and crediting Bukele for his cooperation in building the prison.

Fernández is scheduled to visit El Salvador on Friday to inspect CECOT's facilities and operations firsthand.

Homicides top 800 for 3rd straight year as drug gangs tighten grip

The construction of the mega-prison reflects a sharp deterioration in public safety. Costa Rica was once regarded as one of Central America's most stable countries, but the expansion of international drug trafficking networks has driven a surge in homicides and organized crime.

According to judicial authorities, homicides reached a record 905 in 2023. The figure fell slightly to 876 in 2024 and 873 last year, but remained at elevated levels — marking three consecutive years above 800.

Authorities believe a significant share of the killings stem from clashes between criminal organizations competing for drug transit routes and local retail networks.

Costa Rica sits along a key corridor linking cocaine production zones in South America to consumer markets in North America and Europe. Analysts say turf wars between international drug gangs have intensified as the groups exploit the country's ports and logistics networks.

Fernández has made a tough stance on organized crime a central policy priority since taking office in May.

The government expects the new prison to separate key figures in criminal organizations from the general inmate population while also easing overcrowding in existing correctional facilities.

Other countries in Latin America are also pursuing large-scale prison construction. Ecuador is pushing ahead with plans to build a new facility capable of holding about 15,000 inmates, a move aimed at addressing overcrowding and the seizure of existing prisons by criminal gangs.

Peru's government, led by President Keiko Fujimori, is also pursuing a tough-on-crime policy, stepping up crackdowns on organized crime and expanding its correctional infrastructure.

El Salvador model spreads — but so does rights controversy

Costa Rica's new prison draws direct inspiration from President Bukele's security policies in El Salvador.

Bukele declared a state of emergency in 2022 as gang violence surged and launched a sweeping crackdown on criminal organizations. More than 90,000 people have since been arrested on gang-related charges.

CECOT, which opened in 2023, can hold up to 40,000 inmates and has become a symbol of El Salvador's hardline security policy through its mass isolation of organized crime-related prisoners.

According to the Salvadoran government, the homicide rate per 100,000 people exceeded 100 in 2015 but fell to 1.3 last year.

As news of the crime reduction spread, other countries across Latin America have begun moving to adopt Bukele-style tough-on-crime measures.

Human rights concerns have persisted alongside the security gains. International rights groups have criticized the Salvadoran government for maintaining the state of emergency over an extended period, repeatedly carrying out warrantless arrests, arbitrary detentions and due-process violations. Restrictions on inmates' access to lawyers and family visits have also drawn criticism.

The death toll among detainees counted by rights organizations has exceeded 500.

Bukele recently said he was considering releasing up to half of those arrested since the state of emergency began. He said authorities would individually review the degree of involvement of those imprisoned on charges of collaborating with gangs and decide whether to grant early release, adding that supervision measures for those freed were also under consideration.

However, he said the state of emergency declared to dismantle the gangs would remain in place.

The debate over El Salvador-style security policies is playing out in Costa Rica as well, with the government's push for strong control over criminal organizations meeting pushback from those concerned about violations of basic rights. Whether the mega-prison will translate into genuine improvements in public safety — and how authorities will manage inmate treatment and human rights — remains a key challenge ahead.


rainbow@heraldcorp.com