No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveViolence, drug trafficking in Limón is latest in wider struggle against drugs...

Violence, drug trafficking in Limón is latest in wider struggle against drugs in Costa Rica

Known for its tranquil beaches and relaxed atmosphere, the Caribbean province of Limón is quickly gaining the wrong kind of notoriety following several high-profile drug stories in recent weeks.

Dramatic incidents like the killing of turtle conservationist Jairo Mora captured international attention, and the daily La Nación ran several stories on how indigenous tribes in Limón have turned to the drug trade. While Limón bears the brunt of the violence from drug-related crime, the region’s troubles are part of a wider story. Over the weekend, La Nación reported that drug gang rivalries were the motivation behind the killing of two men in Pueblo Nuevo, Limón, on Sunday.

Long the exception to the drug violence that ravaged its neighbors in Central America and Mexico, Costa Rica finds itself increasingly involved in drug-related crime. Squeezed by police patrols, Caribbean drug routes shifted overland to Central America, and into Costa Rica, according to InSight Crime, a research organization based in Washington, D.C. 

We are prisoners to our geography,” Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla told The Wall Street Journal, referring to the country’s location between cocaine producers in South America and consumers in the United States. Soon after she made those comments, however, Chinchilla found herself on the defensive following revelations that she used a private plane allegedly linked to a drug cartel for state visits. 

Today, Costa Rica, known as the “Switzerland of the Americas” for its stable democracy and lack of standing army, has grown into a major distribution point for traffickers. Reports claim that drugs reach 39 different countries across four continents from the small country. Costa Rica also faces rising domestic drug consumption, including crack cocaine.

This week, La Nación ran several stories about how marijuana traffickers have embedded themselves in the Cabécar-Telire indigenous reservation in Limón. The newspaper highlighted a lack of police resources and infrastructure, difficult terrain and a lack of economic opportunities in the region as major hurdles to curbing the booming black market. 

While violence and dramatic stories grab the headlines, money laundering is the deeper story behind the drug trade in Costa Rica. Arthur Budovsky, a 39-year-old Ukrainian-born Costa Rican citizen, was arrested in Madrid, Spain, in May for allegedly operating the largest money-laundering operation in the world, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Budovsky, who was based in Costa Rica, laundered funds from drug traffickers and other criminals through the online payment company Liberty Reserve.

In 2011, Global Financial Integrity, a nonprofit research organization based in Washington, D.C., reported that an average of $4.47 billion passed through the country every year between 2000 and 2008, equal to one-fifth of the country’s gross domestic product over the same period. 

Trending Now

Flying Around Costa Rica is Easier Than Ever Thanks to Sansa Airlines

The airline recently added two new aircraft to its fleet, bringing their total to twelve. That increase allows SANSA to boost service to smaller...

Meet the Bats of Costa Rica from Tent Makers to Fish Hunters

Costa Rica is home to around 220 species of non-marine mammals. Roughly half of those species, 117 is the current number, are the type...

UN Experts Warn of Possible Nicaraguan Government Role in Exile’s Murder in Costa Rica

A team of UN human rights experts said Tuesday that involvement by the Nicaraguan government in the killing of retired major Roberto Samcam cannot...

Costa Rica Reports Surge in Human Trafficking Cases

The General Directorate of Immigration (DGME) has reported 36 confirmed victims of human trafficking for commercial or sexual purposes in Costa Rica during the...

El Salvador NGO Flees to Guatemala as Bukele Intensifies Crackdown on Critics

The prestigious NGO Cristosal, which investigates corruption cases and denounces human rights violations in El Salvador, announced Thursday that it has been forced into...

Costa Rica’s Religious Culture Through the Eyes of a Non-Religious Expat

Costa Rica is the only country in the Americas that has an official religion—Catholicism—enshrined in its constitution. While the Constitution recognizes freedom of worship,...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica