Camilo Flores, the Attorney General of Osa, strongly criticized Costa Rica’s development model, describing the country’s gentrification phenomenon as a form of “neo-colonization.” Flores pointed out that foreigners are buying up land that is inaccessible to Costa Ricans and displacing entire communities.
“As an inhabitant of a coastal area of Quepos, I experience it firsthand. They buy land at prices that are cheap for them but inaccessible for Costa Ricans, displacing entire communities,” said Flores in an interview with local media Nuestra Voz.
According to the Prosecutor, examples abound in the country. Problems are evident in places like Nosara, in Guanacaste, where the arrival of wealthy foreigners has displaced “an entire community” to remote areas with difficult access to services and problems of flooding or landslides.
This social and economic phenomenon also generates serious environmental problems. For example, in Tamarindo, Guanacaste, the lack of water is a major issue for residents. Nevertheless, the municipality continues to grant permits for the construction of mega-developments.
Flores criticized the fact that many people benefit from this situation without considering the detrimental effects it has on middle and lower-class communities. “Business groups are beginning to sell at prices that are inaccessible to Costa Ricans. It is an issue that should be a concern for the country,” said the prosecutor.
Those who endorse this type of development often insist that it provides economic benefits, increases employment opportunities, and brings advantages such as tourism. However, Camilo Flores clarified that although the arrival of foreigners stimulates the economy, the benefits are not distributed among all sectors.
“It’s a type of development that benefits very few. They talk about it as development, but without a doubt, the effect it generates is that it impoverishes the communities,” the Attorney General of Osa pointed out.
