Weekly Report - 28 September 2023 (WR-23-39)

The director of Costa Rica’s judicial investigation agency (OIJ), Randall Zúñiga, has warned that Costa Rica has already registered more homicides this year than in the whole of 2022 – itself a record year for homicides. Attributed to the growing presence of international drug trafficking organisations (DTOs), the surge in violence is a source of significant pressure on President Rodrigo Chaves, who in May was compelled to replace his security minister and introduce a new security plan [WR-23-19].