Q COSTARICA — As we near the midpoint of 2025, Costa Rica is headed toward a third record year for violence and homicides.
As of Tuesday, June 17, there were 412 murders, three more than the same period last year.
Last weekend alone, there were 11 murders, including two triple homicides.
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If the rate of 2.45 homicides per day continues, by the end of December, the number of murders for the year would be about 900, a figure close to the all-time high of 907 cases in 2023.
The majority of the violence is related to a dispute between criminal groups over territory for the distribution and sale of illegal drugs, according to authorities from the Organismo de Investigacíon Judicial (OIJ).
Given this situation, various political actors are questioning the work of the Rodrigo Chaves government and believe that the actions taken to date have been insufficient and ineffective, to the point that they argue that Costa Rica is losing the battle against drug trafficking.
Difference in Approach
“The 11 homicides in two days should lead us to deep reflection, but above all, to make a vehement, respectful, and urgent call to all the country’s police forces to coordinate their actions, so that they can confront organized crime together, since we see that with ordinary action we have not managed to reduce homicides in our country,” said Gilberth Jiménez, president of the Legislative Security and Drug Trafficking Commission.
To date, the current administration has stated that it is urgent to change the laws to prevent dangerous and repeat offenders, who repeatedly commit illegal acts, from walking free.
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“Let’s leave behind the myth of the poor and the lack of opportunities that some people, like legislator Gloria Navas, propose. There is no way to solve the crime problem in the short term other than isolating individuals who are seen as unlikely to be rehabilitated. We have made some progress, but we still lack, for example, the extension of pretrial detention for certain crimes that pose a danger to society. We can’t continue hugging those who shoot,” Chaves has said in the past.
However, some believe that insecurity is not combated by increasing prison sentences, but rather by preventive actions and increased investment in social and educational areas, as advocated by independent legislator Navas.
This difference in approach has led President Chaves to abandon the dialogue table with the Legislative Assembly, the Supreme Court of Justice, the Attorney General’s Office, and the OIJ, while accusing the Judiciary of promoting an approach of benevolence and protection of criminals.
Spike on Weekends
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On the other hand, Randall Zúñiga, director of the OIJ, warned of a marked spike in homicides on weekends, warning of a lack of “territorial control” in known conflictive areas.
Zúñiga added that this is because the judicial police cannot carry out raids on weekends or after 6:00 pm.
President Chaves vetoed the bill that had been passed, which would have enabled judicial authorities to work around the clock instead of just on weekdays and only after 6:00 am and not past 6:00 pm. The reasoning behind the veto was that it could potentially “infringe the constitutional right to the inviolability of the home, as well as other constitutional principles.”
Read more: President Chaves vetoes a bill allowing OIJ and prosecutor’s office raids at anytime
“Since it was announced that the OIJ lacks the direct authority to carry out raids on weekends, or after 6:00 p.m., we have seen this upswing in homicides that have been occurring on these weekends,” Zúñiga concluded.
Violence continues
In the past four years, violent crime, such as homicide, has spiked from the 588 recorded in 2021 to 654 in 2022, and almost doubled to a record of 907 in 2023. The record dropped some in 2024, closing the year with 880 homicides.
As stated previously, if the current trend continues, it is projected that there will be 895 homicides in 2025, surpassing the number from last year and potentially breaking the record set in 2023.
Main causes of insecurity in Costa Rica
Many believe organized crime, temptations, shortages, and the provocation generated by ostentation appear to be the triggers for many crimes in Costa Rica, rather than unmet basic needs, poverty, and social marginalization.
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