Security & Strategic Review - April 2026

At the end of February, the governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua agreed to boost security cooperation aimed at combatting cross-border illegal gold mining. The agreement, which drew attention given that Costa Rica’s right-wing populist President Rodrigo Chaves is not exactly ideologically aligned with Nicaragua’s authoritarian co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, again highlights the issue of illegal gold mining on the border, which the Costa Rican government warns has evolved into a new phase.