Costa Rica opens high-security prison as it steps up fight against organised crime

Costa Rica inaugurated a new high-security prison on Wednesday, 14 October 2026. Al Jazeera described it as a mega-prison. Reuters described it as a maximum-security prison.

Both outlets report that the opening comes as Costa Rica steps up its fight against organised crime after an increase in killings. Both also note that Costa Rica has historically had lower levels of violent crime than much of Latin America.

The facility

According to Al Jazeera, the facility is called the High-Containment Centre Against Organised Crime (CACCO). President Laura Fernandez opened it. Al Jazeera reports it will hold up to 5,100 people, which the outlet says equals about 20 percent of Costa Rica's current prison population. The first prisoner transfers will take place at the end of October, according to Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera reports that Costa Rica recorded a record 905 homicides in 2023, followed by 876 in 2024 and 873 in 2025.

Regional context

Al Jazeera links the opening to a wider regional trend. According to the outlet:

• Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori, inaugurated in July, plans to tour El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Centre (CECOT), which can hold about 40,000 people, ahead of creating a similar facility in Peru.
• Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office in August, campaigned partly on a pledge to build 10 mega-prisons.
• In Brazil, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has reached the final round of the presidential election. His platform includes five mega-prisons and cites the Salvadoran model.

El Salvador first imposed a "state of exception" under President Nayib Bukele in 2022, expanding police and military powers. It has been extended continuously since, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet reports it has led to mass arrests and mass trials, with rulings against hundreds of defendants at a time and some people detained without charge.

What each side says

Al Jazeera quoted Fernandez as saying at the inauguration ceremony: "The CACCO will force criminals to face a new model – a tough-on-crime model. Costa Rica will become a global benchmark for prison security."

Justice Minister Gabriel Aguilar said the facility will help the government reassert control over the prison system and reduce infiltration by organised crime, according to Al Jazeera.

Analysts cited by Al Jazeera attribute the rise in homicides partly to increased fighting between criminal groups over lucrative drug routes.

The Bukele administration frequently says it has dismantled the gangs, according to Al Jazeera. Rights groups cited by the outlet say the state of exception has led to severe rights abuses and has been used against government critics. Critics cited by Al Jazeera say conditions in mega-prisons such as CECOT are often poor, citing overcrowding, due process violations and alleged torture.

What the reports do not include

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not describe the facility's location, cost, financing or staffing, or how prisoners will be selected for transfer. They include no reaction from rights groups or oversight bodies specifically about the CACCO. They do not indicate whether Costa Rica plans measures comparable to El Salvador's state of exception.

Analysis

The opening places Costa Rica within a regional debate over how to respond to organised crime. Supporters of large high-security prisons argue they can restore state control over prison systems. Critics, citing El Salvador's experience, raise concerns about due process and detention conditions. How the CACCO operates may depend on factors the reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not describe, including transfer criteria, oversight rules and legal safeguards. The homicide figures reported by Al Jazeera show a record in 2023 and slightly lower totals since. They do not by themselves show what effect the new prison may have. Independent oversight and future data could help clarify outcomes.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.