Q COSTARICA — Nayib Bukele, president of El Salvador, is on an official visit to Costa Rica. The Salvadoran leader arrived in Costa Rica on Tuesday afternoon as part of a diplomatic tour aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and exploring opportunities for cooperation in various areas.
Bukele was received by local authorities and will hold meetings with representatives of the Costa Rican government. The talks will include topics such as regional integration, trade, and security cooperation.
Diplomatic sources indicated that both sides expressed interest in deepening technological cooperation and exchanging experiences in public policy.
The visit’s program includes a working agenda with meetings with high-level officials, as well as official ceremonies, including the groundbreaking of Costa Rica’s new mega prison, the Centro de Alta Contención de Crimen Organizado (CACCO), inspired by the model Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), which Bukele implemented in El Salvador to combat gangs.
Bukele is visiting Costa Rica at a time of an alleged death threat against both Costa Rica’s president, Rodrigo Chaves, and the Salvadoran president. Read more: Alleged death threat against Rodrigo Chaves
Costa Rica’s future prison, which will cost US$35 million, will have five modules with a total capacity of 5,100 inmates, and according to the Government, it will serve to lock up the most violent prisoners.
The project is being developed at a time when Costa Rica is registering record numbers of homicides: around 900 each year, 70% of which are attributed by authorities to drug trafficking.
Last December, Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves visited El Salvador, during which he met with Bukele and toured the CECOT.