The government has proposed bringing in international experts to create a long-term strategy to end violence in the stadiums.
That was the word from Presidenta Laura Chinchilla on Wednesday during a meeting with the owners of the national soccer clubs, and the head of the national soccer association, FEDEFUT’s Eduardo Li.
Participating in the meeting were also the minister of security (Seguridad), Mario Zamora, the director of the DIS (Costa Rica’s intelligence agency), Celso Gambao and the director of the Fuerza Publica (Police Force), Juan José Andrade.
The plan is to bring in experts from places like Holland, England and Spain. The experts will be part of a special commission to develop a “national plan” against violence at sports stadiums and events.
At the meeting, it was also agreed that the Fuerza Publica will have a major presence at sporting events, including having an office at sports stadium where the public can file reports of violence.
The major cause of the violence at stadiums, like what occurred last Sunday at the National Stadium that forced the suspension of the game between Alajuela and Cartago, are the “las barras bravas”- hooligans in English – organized groups or individuals within them that attend a soccer game with the sole purpose of creating a disturbance, usually protagonists of violent incidents within and outside the soccer stadium.
In Costa Rica, some of the barras bravas are:
- La 12 (LD Alajuelense)
- Ultra Morada (Saprissa)
- Garra Herediano (CS Herediano)
- Fuerza Azul (CS Cartagines)
- Turba Poeta (Asociación Deportiva Ramonense)
- Naranja Mecánica (Puntarenas F.C.)
- Malacrianza y el Chirriche (Liberia Mía)
- Los norteños asesinos (San Carlos)
Some, like La 12 and Ultra Morada, use websites, forums, Facebook pages, YouTube and other social media to promote their activities and membership.
