The Costa Rican government has handed a major contract to build a high-security prison to Edificadora Centroamericana Rapiparedes Sociedad Anónima, known as Edificar. The deal, worth nearly ¢17 billion or about $32 million, targets the rising threat from organized crime and drug trafficking.
President Rodrigo Chaves pushed for the project as part of efforts to lock up the nation’s most dangerous criminals. Officials say the facility will hold leaders of criminal groups, violent offenders, those facing extradition, and inmates needing extra protection. “We send the most dangerous inmates here, the ones who run crime from inside,” authorities stated during initial plans.
The Ministry of Justice moved quickly, using a special emergency process to award the contract. Bidding opened on October 14 and wrapped up on November 2, taking just over two weeks. Three firms competed: Edificar, Van der Laat y Jiménez S.A., and Navarro y Avilés S.A. Edificar won and now faces a tight deadline to finish construction in 315 days—less than a year.
The prison, called the Centro de Alta Contención del Crimen Organizado or CACCO, sits on 90,000 square meters in La Reforma, Alajuela, with 31,000 square meters built out. It includes five modules, each holding 1,020 inmates, for a total capacity over 5,000. Other parts feature five medical rooms, 25 cells for private visits, an office building, a central guard post, seven watch towers, 20 solitary cells, a storage area, and waste handling.
Costa Rica drew from El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, which holds up to 40,000 prisoners under President Nayib Bukele. El Salvador shared designs and tech advice, helping cut costs. The government budgeted $35 million overall, with lawmakers approving ¢7.87 billion so far for the first phase.
The push comes amid a spike in gang-related killings and prison overcrowding. Officials aim to boost maximum-security spots from 80 to 1,000, easing pressure on the system. Not everyone supports the plan. Lawmaker Ariel Robles from the Frente Amplio party argues the funds should go to schools and crime prevention. “We need to stop crime before it starts, not just build bigger jails,” he said.
Construction starts soon, with completion eyed for next year. The facility promises stricter controls to disrupt criminal networks operating from behind bars. Officials hope it strengthens public safety, but debates continue on whether tough prisons alone can curb violence tied to drug cartels.
