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LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

A daily publication Of the dialogue

August 9, 2023

Why Is Costa Rica Seeing Escalating Levels of Crime?

Drug trafficking has resulted in a growing crime rate in Costa Rica, the country’s security minister, Mario Zamora, said last month. // File Photo: Costa Rican Ministry of Public Security.

Q

A

Montserrat Sagot, sociologist and professor at the University of Costa Rica: “The factors that lead to a rise in crime in a particular country are usually complex. In the case of Costa Rica, the one-dimensional answer would be to say that the country has evolved from a place of transit of drugs to a territory of domestic gangs and criminal networks that are no longer under the control of the big cartels. In fact, in some cases, those transnational cartels have become rivals, which has provoked the development of strategies of informal warfare among them. However, that situation is not really the cause, but rather the result of more structural problems that explain how the participation in violent illegal enterprises can become a mode of life for certain people. First, the growing social inequality, economic deprivation and lack of opportunities in the country, as several studies have shown, have a strong and causal effect on crime. Second, the implementation of market-oriented policies in recent years has led to…”

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The Inter-American Dialogue publishes the Latin America Advisor every business day for a distinguished membership of informed corporate leaders, scholars, and government officials invested in Latin America’s development and future. The Advisor‘s highly regarded Q&A section covers questions submitted by subscribers themselves. Commentators regularly include heads of state, business leaders, diplomats, economists, analysts, and thought leaders from around the world. Many of the world’s largest and fastest-growing companies subscribe to the Advisor. To subscribe, click here. For terms and conditions, click here. For more information, contact Gene Kuleta, editor of the Advisor, at gkuleta@thedialogue.org.

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