Costa Rican President Laura Fernández has indicated that U.S. military operations within Costa Rican territory may have national security benefits.
But she added a caveat. In an interview published on Friday, Fernández told Reuters that such measures would require parliamentary approval.
Recommended stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
He added that there are no plans underway for U.S. troops to operate in the country.
“Obviously it would be very good for national security if we were to pursue a common goal against transnational crime, transnational drug trafficking, transnational terrorism,” said Fernández, a right-wing populist who took office in May.
Fernández succeeded his mentor, former President Rodrigo Chávez, after an election in February that was heavily influenced by concerns about security and rising violence in the Central American country.
Fernandez ran for office on a tough-on-crime platform, but said he was not currently considering declaring a state of emergency to address the issue.
Such states of emergency typically suspend important constitutional rights in exchange for giving police and the military additional powers to crack down on violence.
This model became popular under El Salvador’s right-wing president Nayib Boucle.
But critics say the state of emergency is a short-term measure, not a permanent measure. El Salvador has declared a state of emergency starting in 2022, which the government has extended dozens of times.
Crime is a top concern for voters in Costa Rica. The murder rate in this Central American country has doubled in the past decade, reaching 17.2 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023.
Although this figure is still well below the average for many other countries in the region, this change, driven in part by increased drug trafficking activity, has surprised many residents.
Fernandez’s comments also reflect growing pressure from the United States to reduce crime across the Western Hemisphere.
Since returning to power for a second term, US President Donald Trump has pushed to expand his country’s influence throughout Latin America, particularly through military engagement.
Earlier this year, he launched Shield of the Americas, also known as the Alliance Against Cartels of the Americas (ACCC), which brings together right-wing leaders in the region to combat drug trafficking.
President Trump used his inaugural address to encourage Latin American governments to adopt a military-led approach to crime, despite human rights concerns.
He has also carried out and threatened military operations in sovereign states under the premise of fighting crime.
Some countries, such as Mexico, are reluctant to allow the U.S. military to conduct operations within their territory. Critics point to Washington’s long record of interference and rights abuses in the region.
But other countries are more accepting. For example, the US military has recently conducted military operations with Ecuador’s right-wing government to reduce crime rates.
But Ecuador’s military has been accused of crimes such as torture and enforced disappearances, and experts warn that it could get worse with U.S. aid.
A July Human Rights Watch report warned that military cooperation between Ecuador and the United States is already having dire consequences.
Ecuadorian fishermen have reported facing attacks at sea, and in one case, Ecuadorian soldiers allegedly detained four Colombian farm workers and tortured them using methods including mock executions, beatings and electric shocks.
The incident reportedly occurred during a border raid carried out with support from the United States.
“The security relationship between the two countries is deepening at a time when both governments are committing serious human rights abuses, fueled by claims that the conflict with organized crime groups constitutes a form of war,” the report said.
The attacks came after Ecuadorian voters rejected a referendum last year that would have allowed foreign countries to set up military bases in Ecuador.
