Q COSTARCIA — Former President Laura Chinchilla Miranda (2010-2014) criticized the Legislative Assembly last week for rejecting a bill that would strengthen the concept of “emerging capital” to seize assets from organized crime more quickly.
In her appearance before the Legisaltive Security and Drug Trafficking Committee on Thursday night, the former president criticized the fact that while almost none of the members of the Legislartive Assembly spoke out against the precautionary embargo imposed by Enjoy Hotels on environmental activist Juan Bautista Alfaro Rojas for criticizing its project in Bahía Papagayo, they did spend several hours attacking the bill, which was ready for a final vote after having passed twice before the Constitutional Court.
“If no one, or very few, shouted because a precautionary measure was imposed against an influencer who spoke out against a company, freezing all its assets, I don’t see why there was such a fuss about organized crime.”
Chinchilla stated that she was “very hurt” to see Congress reject the bill, and recalled that it was during her administration that the first law against organized crime was introduced and enacted, which included the concept of emerging capital, but its implementation has been difficult.
“It hurt me a lot to see that yesterday [Wednesday] the Legislative Assembly once again paralyzed the bill on emerging capital. I was in charge of drafting—sorry, I didn’t draft it, my advisors, along with the then Attorney General and José Manuel Arroyo—the first Organized Crime Law the country had. The concept of emerging capital was already included there. I understand that it hasn’t been implemented, and hence the measures they are requesting.”
The former president asked to reconsider the proposal and, if necessary, add safeguards to achieve the required votes, warning that “if Costa Rica doesn’t get its act together on emerging capital issues, it seems to me that it will be very difficult to defeat organized crime.”
Last Wednesday, due to a lack of a majority, the legislative plenary rejected Bill 22,834, which had been processed since December 2021. This bill sought to add articles to the law against organized crime to allow for early precautionary measures, preventive freezes, and more expedited notifications to legal entities.
The proposal received 21 votes in favor and 17 against. 38 votes in favor are required for approval.
Not obtaining the required votes, the bill was suspended pending a new decision or eventual return to committee.
During her appearance before the legislative committee, Chinchilla outlined her views on the current state of violence, highlighted shortcomings within the police force, and addressed the circumstances surrounding the appointment of Celso Gamboa (who is currently awaiting extradition to the United States, charged with federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, on on international drug trafficking charges), as deputy minister of security and head of the Intelligence and Security Directorate (DIS) during her administration.
Laura Chinchilla warns that Costa Rica is “on the brink of the abyss” and blames the current government for the security crisis.
“Today’s security crisis is real, and the current administration is primarily responsible,” said Chinchilla, who emphasized that Costa Rica is currently the second most violent country in Central America and that organized crime is the primary driver of murder for hire.
An example is the triple murder occurring in the early evening of Friday in Santa Ana, where a gunman opened fire in a well-known ‘cantina’ in the area of Lindora, killing two drug kingpins. The third victim was collateral damage. Two others were injured in the shooting.
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