Media outlet Le Monde published an article indicating that Costa Rica has transformed from a tourist paradise to an epicenter of drug trafficking and violence. The piece, entitled “Costa Rica, Latin America’s Switzerland in the Grip of the Drug Storm,” notes that Costa Rica has become engulfed in cocaine trafficking, changing it from a transit country to a key logistical hub for exporting drugs to Europe.
Costa Rica has been recognized globally for its political stability, development model, and image as a paradisiacal tourist destination. However, the newspaper points out that the country is facing an unprecedented wave of violence due to drug trafficking. Le Monde highlights that since 2019, port authorities in Europe have seized at least 88 tons of cocaine originating from Costa Rica, primarily at the ports of Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Antwerp in Belgium.
Researcher Evelyn Villarreal Fernández, from the State of the Nation program, explained to the French media that the country has become a “logistical center” for drug trafficking, with local gangs establishing ties with Mexican and Colombian cartels as well as European mafias.
The impact of drug trafficking is reflected in an alarming increase in violence. Costa Rica recorded a total of 880 homicides in 2024, making it the second most violent year in its history. Most of these murders were linked to hired killings and score-settling among criminal gangs.
Costa Rica has seen organized crime take root within its territory, utilizing its port infrastructure and its most emblematic agricultural products, such as pineapples and bananas.
The newspaper highlighted that in addition to homicides, criminal organizations are involved in other crimes, such as sexual exploitation and trafficking of species and precious woods. Le Monde indicated that Costa Rica is at a delicate moment, needing to take action to avoid losing the peace it has worked so hard to achieve.
“Costa Rica is at a crossroads. If urgent and effective measures are not taken, the country risks losing not only its reputation as ‘the Switzerland of Central America,’ but also the security and peace it has worked so hard to establish,” the media outlet stressed.
