Costa Rican president signals openness to domestic US military operations
Summary
Costa Rican President Laura Fernandez said that U.S. military operations in Costa Rica could help improve national security if focused on fighting crime and terrorism. However, she stressed that any such operations would need approval from Costa Rica’s legislature, and currently, no plans exist for U.S. forces to operate there.Key Facts
- President Laura Fernandez took office in May and succeeded former President Rodrigo Chaves.
- She suggested U.S. military help could be good for fighting transnational crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism in Costa Rica.
- Any U.S. military presence in Costa Rica would require approval from the national legislature.
- Costa Rica faces rising violence, with its homicide rate doubling over the last decade to 17.2 per 100,000 people in 2023.
- Fernandez said she is not planning to declare a state of emergency, a measure used by neighboring El Salvador to increase police and military powers.
- U.S. President Donald Trump is promoting military cooperation in Latin America to combat drug trafficking, including through the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (ACCC).
- The U.S. has recently supported military operations in Ecuador, but these have been linked to human rights abuses such as torture and attacks on civilians.
- Some Latin American countries reject U.S. military operations on their soil due to concerns about sovereignty and past rights violations.
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