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Costa Rica to Build Large New Prison as Homicide Rate Triples
President Laura Fernández vowed to construct a new mega-prison and said her hand would not tremble in tackling gangs. The announcement marks the latest Latin American country turning toward El Salvador-style measures amid a regional surge in violence linked to cocaine production.
May 12, 8:33 AM·1m read1 source
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Costa Rica’s President Laura Fernández vowed to build a new mega-prison, becoming the latest Latin American leader to draw from El Salvador’s model of mass arrests and huge detention facilities. Fernández said her hand would not tremble when it came to tackling gangs. The pledge comes as violence in Costa Rica has skyrocketed in recent years.
Costa Rica’s homicide rate has tripled from the start of the century. The country was long held as one of the few Latin American countries devoid of large-scale organized crime. Violence is rising across much of Latin America over a surge in cocaine production.
Chile and Ecuador have vowed to mimic El Salvador’s approach to crime. El Salvador’s approach to crime has included mass arrests and huge detention facilities. Semafor reported that Fernández made the vow in her first weeks in office as the regional trend accelerates.
The announcement was published May 12, 2026 at 8:33am EDT. Fernández spoke directly of her resolve as she outlined plans for the facility.
