Conservative President of Costa Rica Laura Fernández said prospective U.S. ground operations on Costa Rican soil against international criminal organizations would be “very good” for the Central American Country’s national security.
Speaking to Reuters, Fernández clarified that no plans of that nature were in the works between Washington and San José, adding any such plan would require legislative approval for its implementation. However, Fernández stated the subject was broached by Costa Rica before the U.S. earlier this year when she was President-elect.
“It would obviously be very good for national security if it were about pursuing a common objective against transnational crime, transnational drug trafficking, transnational terrorism,” Fernández told Reuters at the Costa Rican presidential palace.
The Qatari news network Al Jazeera published a snippet video of the interview with Fernández’s remarks.
Costa Rica is one of the Latin American nations that has historically cooperated with the United States in the fight against organized crime operating in the region. The Central American country is also one of the few countries in the world that does not have its own army, having abolished it in 1949.
President Fernández, a hard line conservative, took office in May after obtaining a landslide victory earlier this year. She vowed to crack down on Costa Rica’s longstanding violence, crime, and drug trafficking issues, seeking to emulate the success of El Salvador under the administration of President Nayib Bukele. In 2023, El Salvador documented a record-breaking homicide rate of 17.2 per 100,000 inhabitants, more than double the rate registered during the 2010s.
Earlier this year, Fernández and her conservative predecessor and mentor, Rodrigo Chaves Robles, had Costa Rica join the U.S.-led Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C), also known as the “Shield of the Americas.” Since then, countries such as Colombia have signed agreements with the United States allowing for possible joint strikes with the U.S. against narco-terrorist groups operating in Colombian territory.
Ecuador, another A3C member, has participated in several joint operations with the U.S. against narco-terrorist group — most recently, dismantling a floating refueling station used by Ecuador’s deadly Los Choneros narco-terrorist organization last week.
President Fernández reportedly stated during the interview that she is not considering asking the Costa Rican Congress for state of emergency declaration and the suspension of civil liberties to address Costa Rica’s rampant violent crime crisis.
While the possibility for such a declaration was raised during her campaign, the Costa Rican President attributed her change in policy to new official data showing a steady decline in crime this year. According to Reuters, official Costa Rican court data shows a 14 percent reduction in homicides during the first half off 2026 when compared to the same period in 2025.
Reuters noted that the Costa Rican President has found herself in a tense “standoff” with the nation’s courts after she accused the judiciary of being infiltrated by organized crime and blocking some of there tougher security policies. Amid the dispute stands a series of sweeping budget cuts backed by Fernández with significant reductions to the judiciary’s budget.
“I’ve been very critical of how slow the courts are, very critical in specific cases where judges release convicted criminals long before their sentences are complete, and I’ve also been very critical of administrative failures and potential corruption in the judiciary,” Fernández told Reuters.
Speaking during a Sunday address, Fernández further defended the budget cuts, affirming that the current budget represents a “straitjacket” to the government, as it commits 93 percent of its total, leaving only 7 percent available. The Costa Rican President reiterated her administration does not plan to raise any taxes in the country or make the country accrue further debt.
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