The Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukele, arrived in Costa Rica on Tuesday for an official visit to lay the first stone of a high-security prison inspired by the model he implemented in El Salvador to fight gangs. This trip has generated controversy as it takes place in the middle of an electoral campaign. Bukele arrived at Base 2 of the Costa Rican Ministry of Security, located at Juan Santamaría International Airport, and was received by Costa Rican Vice President Mary Munive and Chancellor Arnoldo André. Bukele's controversial visit comes amid a political campaign in Costa Rica for the upcoming February 1 elections, where the ruling party candidate, Laura Fernández, is leading in the polls. The Supreme Electoral Court of Costa Rica (TSE) rejected on Monday a citizen's petition aimed at preventing Bukele's visit but warned that the president cannot interfere in internal affairs. 'The taking of a position by a foreign head of state — in favor of or against any of the political options in contention — would constitute a violation of Public International Law,' the TSE explained in its resolution published this Monday. On Wednesday, Bukele will lay the first stone of the Center for High Containment of Organized Crime (CACCO), a project inspired by the Center for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT), the Salvadoran mega-prison for gang members and a symbol of the Bukele government's 'war' against these groups.
