The attorney general’s office in Costa Rica has announced that they are investigating allegations made in a Mexican newspaper about talks held between the government and drug traffickers in an attempt to reduce the high murder rates. The prosecutors will be looking into a potential breach of duties. This statement comes after the publication of an article by El Universal, to which President Rodrigo Chaves responded by calling the allegations “absurd.”
The attorney general’s office did not disclose any specific targets in their investigation, but confirmed that they are looking into a report by an international media outlet. This year has seen the highest number of homicides in Costa Rica, surpassing even the previous record set last year. Costa Rica has long been known as one of the most peaceful countries in Central America.
The Mexican newspaper, citing anonymous sources, claimed that Costa Rican authorities reached out to local criminal networks associated with the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels in an effort to reduce violence. President Rodrigo Chaves explicitly denied these allegations during a speech, dismissing them as a baseless attempt to tarnish the country’s reputation and his government.
The president’s office also announced that the Security Minister, Mario Zamora, has filed a criminal complaint due to the seriousness of the information revealed in the journalistic report. However, no specific targets were mentioned in the complaint.
Security Minister Zamora expressed suspicions about the timing and source of the news article, pointing out that it aims to undermine the fight against drug trafficking. He also highlighted the increasing influence of Mexican criminal groups in Costa Rica, referring to it as a “Mexicanization of crime.”
Reporting by Alvaro Murillo; Writing by Isabel Woodford; Editing by William Mallard
Credit: The Star : News Feed
