Costa Rican President Fernández says possible US operations could be beneficial
Costa Rican President Laura Fernández said that possible US ground operations in the country could strengthen national security if they focused on combating transnational crime, drug trafficking and terrorism. At the same time, she stressed that there are currently no specific plans to conduct such operations in Costa Rica.
The president’s position
Fernández did not specify what format a potential US operation could take or whether an official proposal to deploy ground forces had been received from Washington. As Anadolu Agency reports, she said that a joint fight against transnational crime, drug trafficking and terrorism would be beneficial for the country’s security.
Combating drug trafficking
Fernández took office in May after an election campaign in which she promised to crack down more forcefully on crime. In recent years, Costa Rica has become a more important transit point for drug shipments, including cocaine from South America to the United States and Europe.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
According to Reuters, the country’s homicide rate reached a record 17.2 per 100,000 people in 2023 — about twice as high as ten years earlier. Despite the rise in violence, Fernández said she was not considering asking Congress to declare a state of emergency or suspend constitutional guarantees.
Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948 and has no standing armed forces, relying on civilian security forces. At the same time, the country maintains cooperation with the United States in combating drug trafficking and organized crime.
