Q COSTARICA (from La República) — The debate over public safety reignited after Juan Carlos Hidalgo, presidential candidate for the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC), launched strong criticisms against President Rodrigo Chaves, whom he blamed for the increase in drug trafficking and violence in the country.
Hidalgo reacted to the president’s statements regarding the fight against organized crime and accused him of trying to distract public opinion.
“He who bathes too much is bound to stink. President Chaves wants to blame others, but he is the one who has the country flooded with cocaine because of his own government’s decisions. It was you, Mr. President, who weakened the Coast Guard, who withdrew the Drug Control Police (PCD) from airports and borders, and who opened the country’s doors wide to drug trafficking,” Hidalgo declared.
According to the presidential candidate, the president can look for scapegoats wherever he wants, but the reality is that it was his government that weakened the authorities in charge of combating drug trafficking.
El presidente quiere distraer a la gente del hecho claro: Costa Rica está llena de cocaína por culpa de las decisiones de su gobierno.
En lugar de meterse en la campaña, debería hacer su trabajo y gobernar. pic.twitter.com/kX3nfRS1SU
— Juan Carlos Hidalgo (@jchidalgo) November 12, 2025
This was done through the reduction of resources for the Coast Guard and the withdrawal of the PCD from airports and borders, among other measures.
“It was the president himself who opened the doors wide to drug trafficking,” Hidalgo reproached.
The presidential candidate noted that Costa Rica went from having a leading position in cocaine seizures to being among the countries with the fewest seizures in the region.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) estimates, more than 500 tons of cocaine enter Costa Rica each year.