Costa Rica: Violence Reaches 'Pandemic' Rates

[Judi Lynn]

Costa Rica: Violence Reaches 'Pandemic' Rates
Published 24 September 2015 (22 hours 45 minutes ago)

A state official recently warned citizens on Tuesday against entering into the drug trade, saying it could lead to either to prison or death.

Violence in Costa Rica is estimated to reach “pandemic” levels by the end of the year, as up to 533 murders are expected by December, said the country’s Public Ministry and Judicial Police on Wednesday. To this date, authorities estimated almost 400 homicides since January, out of which 45 percent have been related to drug-trafficking or organized crime.

Although compared to its Central American neighbours (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras) – among the most violent countries of the world, Costa Rica's rate still shows a significant peak of violence from the past – representing about 30 percent more than 2012 and 2013.

According to experts, the factors causing the increase of violence are two-fold: on one hand, the international criminal dynamic encouraging Mexican cartels to use Costa Rican routes – as a better alternative than the militarized maritime roads to ship cocaine to the United States; on the other hand, local gangs have also increased in power, both in terms of weapons (state officials warned Mexican cartels were handing them AK-47s) and potentially in man power.

More:
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Costa-Rica-Violence-Reaches-Pandemic-Rates-20150924-0028.html

[a la izquierda]

1. I was there in March. I did not feel good about San Jose...

and that's saying something, considering I feel very safe in Mexico City. Costa Rica is a stunning country and these cartel fuckers are a scourge everywhere they go.

[flamingdem]

2. I had no idea that drug violence had escalated in Costa Rica

What a shame. I guess it was bound to happen. Looks like Nicaragua is not so involved, a good thing.