Congresswoman Sofía Guillén of the Frente Amplio accused President Rodrigo Chaves’ government of being a “narco-government.” “We are already living in a narco-state. What we thought would never happen to us has finally happened,” Guillén stated.
Her claims are based on several incidents: the kilos of cocaine that left Costa Rica for Europe after Operation Soberanía was established, the irregular purchase of tents intended for prisons, and the relocation of the Coast Guard Academy from Quepos to Pococí.
“We are talking about a narco-government, which either consciously or unconsciously facilitates these criminal groups,” she added. The legislator referenced a recent article by the New York Times, which claimed that Costa Rica had overtaken Mexico as the top cocaine transshipment point in Latin America. She also pointed to the government’s reliance on scanners, which it touts as a key tool in the fight against drug trafficking.
“Do you remember when we made it a requirement during the Eurobond negotiations for them to install scanners and they resisted? Do you remember how hard we pushed for the scanners? We made them install them, we provided more resources to public security, and yet 1,240 kilos of cocaine still slip through the borders under their noses. This is not naivety or incapacity. There is clear favoritism at work,” Guillén argued.
According to her, the current approach of focusing on small-scale sales is ineffective. “Continuing to target the retailer does nothing. Sure, those who commit crimes should be punished, but let’s be realistic: going after the last link in the chain won’t faze the drug cartels. We need to target the heads of these cartels by attacking money laundering and illicit wealth. We need to hit them where it hurts—their finances,” Guillén stated.
She commended the OIJ for their diligent efforts and successful operations but criticized the government’s security bills. “Our efforts aren’t enough. With all due respect, much of the security agenda in this Assembly is driven by political posturing and headline-grabbing bills that don’t address the real issues. We need laws that take on the drug lords directly,” Guillén concluded.
