The President of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves, recently announced progress in an alliance with El Salvador for the construction of a new prison with a capacity for 5,000 inmates. During an inspection of the La Reforma Penitentiary Center, the president informed that they are working on securing funding for this project, which is estimated to cost 35 million dollars and will follow the design of the Salvadoran Terrorism Confinement Center.
Chaves justified these measures due to the need to increase discipline in prisons and reduce criminal activities such as drug trafficking and bank scams orchestrated from within the penitentiary centers themselves. In parallel, restrictions such as the elimination of small businesses operating in the prisons and limitations on visits and food that inmates could receive have been implemented.
The new regulations have sparked protests from the families of inmates, arguing that the rights of detainees are being violated. Katherine López, wife of a prisoner, emphasized that what they are demanding is not privileges, but fundamental rights such as the right to see their children and receive home-cooked meals. Despite the demonstrations, President Chaves stated that he will continue to personally oversee the implementation of these measures in penitentiary centers.
