Death threats and suspected drug trafficking: Political tensions rise in Costa Rica | International

“We will shoot the legislature with AR-15s and kill you in your office. We will storm Congress to fire shots; There are 50 of us and we will get rid of Sofía Guillén and those from the National Liberation Party and the Broad Front.” This is the email that Costa Rican opposition MP Andrea Álvarez received on Monday.

Álvarez is one of a growing number of Costa Rican lawmakers who have received death threats in recent weeks. The threats come amid rising political tensions with the government of President Rodrigo Chaves, who is being investigated by the attorney general's office for corruption, abuse of power and other crimes.

Chavez – who is halfway through his four-year term – has cracked down on his critics. The verbal abuse that has gripped the public debate is unprecedented in Costa Rica.

In addition to Álvarez, political figures who have reported death threats include Sofía Guillén of the Broad Front (FA), a small but combative left-wing party that accuses Chaves of running a “drug government”; Rodrigo Arias, the President of the Congress; Carlo Díaz, another FA MP who denounces deforestation in the country; community leaders who provided Díaz with information; and a union representative on the board of the Costa Rica Social Security Fund (CCSS) who has supported investigations into alleged corruption within the CCSS, which is responsible for managing the nationwide network of hospitals and clinics.

In addition, it became known on Wednesday that the Auditor General of the Republic, Marta Acosta, had also received threatening messages. President Chaves has accused her of opposing his infrastructure projects and claimed she was behind a proposal by his government to call a national referendum to restrict government powers.

Content circulating on social media shows threats against at least two journalists critical of the government. One thing these people have in common is that they have all faced harsh public criticism from President Chaves for various reasons and blame his influence for the intimidating messages.

Despite ongoing judicial investigations, there is still no concrete evidence as to the identity of those responsible for the reported threats. In circles close to Chaves, these claims are often dismissed, with critics saying they may simply be attempts by journalists to portray themselves as victims.

However, the tense political environment creates fertile ground for hostile messages – even against the president. When Chaves downplayed the importance of environmental protection, Jimena Rueda – the daughter of a judge and former official at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights – wrote: “This deserves a sniper.” She resigned immediately afterward, but the case quickly made headlines. Since then, Chaves has used it several times to suggest that traditional sectors want him dead because he claims to have galvanized the population against political and economic elites.

According to polls, more than half of citizens support Chaves, who took office in 2022 and is legally required to leave in 2026. However, he has not ruled out running for a deputy position to expand his political influence as he seeks to challenge the traditional political system. Chaves has called lawmakers “idiots” and accused the attorney general of “bullying,” “revenge” and subservience to elites. His caustic remarks are aimed at people operating outside his presidential control.

The opposition did not remain silent and responded with high-profile actions that further inflamed Chaves' anger. Recent developments in October include the creation of a commission of inquiry focused on the CCSS, which is the subject of criminal proceedings that led to the suspension of the executive president, a trusted ally of Chaves. In addition, the opposition has ordered an investigation into alleged links between the government and international drug trafficking groups.

Critics argue that Chaves' decisions are enabling the spread of organized crime gangs that have gained a foothold in the country and contributed to a record number of murders in 2023 – an alarming development for a country that once prided itself on being the safest in Central America.

The opposition parties' suspicions were fueled by newspaper reports, including a 2023 article in the Mexican newspaper El Universalwhich reported, based on anonymous testimony, that Costa Rican authorities had allegedly spoken to criminal leaders linked to the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The opposition also referred to a recent publication by The New York Timeswhich cited US intelligence reports identifying Costa Rica as the main transit point for cocaine to the US and Europe. Traffickers exploit vast forest areas where there is weak police surveillance to facilitate their operations.

In addition, the opposition criticizes police forces' budgetary constraints and strategic decisions that could inadvertently support the activities of criminal gangs, including violence, drug trafficking and the proliferation of millions of dollars entering the economy.

The Chaves government has acknowledged the ongoing crime crisis but blames the judiciary and legislature for failing to reform or properly enforce laws. Allegations of alleged ties to drug traffickers prompted the executive branch to turn to U.S. Ambassador Cynthia Telles for support for security measures. Additionally, an aerial video showing Security Minister Mario Zamora flanked by police chiefs sparked concern among lawmakers. In the video, Zamora directly questions lawmakers and demands that they “respect the uniform” of the security forces.

In a post on social media, former President Laura Chinchilla described the situation as “a shameful performance by the heads of the country's security forces” and criticized their excessive tone toward members of Congress exercising their constitutional right to political control. She noted: “If Costa Rica had armed forces, they would have already been sent to storm our republican institutions.”

A group of 20 representatives – a third of Congress – filed a complaint against President Chaves with the Attorney General's Office on Wednesday, accusing him of public incitement and propaganda against the constitutional order and obstruction of judicial authorities.

Alejandro Molina, a researcher at the National Policy Observatory of the University of Costa Rica (UCR), highlights the unprecedented nature of the verbal attacks and argues that this conflict goes beyond institutional politics and permeates social media discussions.

“This conflict also has an impact on society, especially given the current situation of high prevalence of organized crime,” Molina told EL PAÍS. He also recalled Chaves' earlier call for a possible popular uprising in response to what he saw as judicial abuses. “God forbid the time comes when we must act as a society,” the president said in September, alluding to possible action against the justice system without giving further details.

Meanwhile, organized crime continues to consolidate its power, with homicides down only slightly by 4% compared to the first ten months of 2023. Violence is the order of the day. This week, authorities confirmed attacks with an AK-47 rifle on the home of a detective in a community in the Caribbean region. This follows another incident in which two young men shot at a patrol of the Public Force, the national law enforcement agency.

“In a difficult situation, the drug trade profits,” Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) director Randall Zúñiga said on the radio. Weeks ago, he also criticized President Chaves' rhetoric in which he accused judicial officials of being influenced by political and economic interests.

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