Costa Rica opens mega — prison as organized crime fight intensifies

By Alvaro Murillo SAN JOSE, Oct 14 (Reuters) — Costa Rica inaugurated a maximum-security prison on Wednesday as it stepped up its fight against organized crime after a surge in killings in what was long one of Latin America's safest countries. President Laura Fernandez opened the High-Containment Center Against Organized Crime, or CACCO, a prison modeled on El Salvador's mega-prison and a key element of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's anti-gang crackdown. The facility near the capital of San Jose has a capacity for 5,100 inmates, roughly 20% of the nation's current prison population. Costa Rica recorded an all-time high of 905 homicides in 2023, according to judicial data. Killings eased only slightly to 876 in 2024 and 873 in 2025, remaining well above earlier levels. Authorities have said most murders are linked to disputes among criminal groups over drug trafficking routes and local markets. "The CACCO will force criminals to face a new model—a tough-on-crime model. Costa Rica will become a global benchmark for prison security," Fernandez said during the inauguration ceremony. The president also announced a visit to El Salvador on Friday. Bukele's crackdown is widely credite