No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaNew Costa Rican law recognizes nationality for indigenous populations

New Costa Rican law recognizes nationality for indigenous populations

Costa Rica put into effect Friday a law that recognizes the nationality of indigenous communities that are located on the country’s border.

Indigenous people living in those territories have suffered marginalization of state services due to the lack of official acknowledgement of their identities.

President Carlos Alvarado signed the law to protect the right to Costa Rican nationality for cross-border indigenous people as part of Costa Rica’s commemoration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

The legislation establishes mechanisms to recognize the nationality of the Ngäbe indigenous population, comprising some 3,000 members near Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean border with Panama.

“Today we reaffirm our commitment to guarantee the right of all peoples to self-determination,” said President Alvarado when signing the law, which makes it easier for Ngäbe to have Costa Rican identity documents.

The lack of nationality has been a historical obstacle preventing indigenous people living on Costa Rica’s borders access to basic services such as healthcare, education and social assistance benefits.

At the same time, the government issued a decree that creates a database of the Broran people, in the southern area of ​​Térraba, to facilitate the determination of their genealogical patterns and the preservation of their customs, traditions and cultural wealth.

Deputy Enrique Sánchez, promoter of the law, explained that the law was made in consultation with the indigenous populations.

“From that recognition, they will be able to access the rights associated with nationality,” Sánchez explained. “They’ll know that they won’t have any problem when they have to access [a public clinic], when they have to enroll their sons and daughters in Costa Rican schools, when they have to complete paperwork at any government institution.”

For his part, the indigenous leader Eusebio Julián stressed that the new laws are positive but “this does not cover all our needs,” citing discrimination against indigenous populations.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Issues Green Weather Alert as Heavy Rains Expected

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) has declared a green weather alert across Costa Rica due to the expected increase in rainfall over the coming...

Honduras agrees to receive migrants under new US deportation agreement

The US has signed a new deportation agreement with Honduras, allowing officials to send migrants from other countries there instead of keeping them in...

Costa Rica Replaces One-Lane Bridges as Traffic and Population Grow

As the infrastructure of Costa Rica advances, with new four-lane highways and a series of bypasses around San José that avoid the narrow, congested...

El Salvador Schools Enforce Military-Style Uniform Inspections

El Salvador's public schools will start enforcing daily inspections for students' uniforms and haircuts from August 20, as ordered by the new education minister,...

Honduras Community Demands Justice in Environmental Murder Case

Three defendants accused of murdering an environmental activist in Honduras 11 months ago appeared before a court this Thursday for a preliminary hearing, the...

Major Cocaine Seizure in Costa Rica’s South Highlights Ongoing Cartel Fight

Costa Rican police pulled off a big win against drug traffickers this Sunday, seizing over a ton of cocaine hidden in a tourism minibus...
spot_img
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