Q COSTA RICA — Amid the fight against drug trafficking gangs, President Laura Fernández declared information regarding the Amid the fight against drug trafficking gangs, President Laura Fernández declared information regarding the Dirección de Inteligencia y Seguridad (DIS) — Costa Rica’s national intelligence agency reporting directly to the president, the Elite Force, and security contracts to be state secrets.
On Monday, the decree signed last July 27 was published in the official gazette, La Gaceta.
The document states that “the State of Costa Rica faces the need to combat increasingly complex and organized criminal structures, through strategic planning based on intelligence, operational coordination and timely decision-making, forcing it to react quickly and efficiently to situations that put social peace and the well-being of the population at risk.”
The president had previously expressed concern about keeping some of the discussions and intelligence emanating from the Elite Force secret and, for this reason, even ordered polygraph tests for those involved.
The Elite Force is a task force comprised of various police forces, judicial authorities, and high-ranking government officials tasked with combating drug trafficking and organized crime.
In this regard, the government justified its decision by arguing that the disclosure of certain data could compromise police operations, reveal institutional vulnerabilities, affect international commitments, and endanger the lives of officials and civilians in the face of the threat of organized crime.
State secrecy imposes an absolute duty of silence on all participants in these proceedings, including high-ranking officials, members of the police force, support staff, and advisors. The decree warns that those who fail to comply with this provision are subject to administrative proceedings, legal sanctions for breach of secrecy, and contract termination without liability for the administration.