{"id":93388,"date":"2026-07-09T14:17:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T18:17:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/costa-ricas-president-and-courts-locked-in-bitter-feud-over-drug-violence\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T14:17:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T18:17:14","slug":"costa-ricas-president-and-courts-locked-in-bitter-feud-over-drug-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/costa-ricas-president-and-courts-locked-in-bitter-feud-over-drug-violence\/","title":{"rendered":"Costa Rica’s President and Courts Locked in Bitter Feud Over Drug Violence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

SAN JOSE \u2014 Just two months into her presidency, Costa Rica’s Laura Fernandez finds herself in a deep and damaging conflict with the nation’s court system \u2014 a battle that experts say is getting in the way of any serious effort to combat a surge in drug-related violence.<\/p>

The dispute is part of a wider pattern of instability across Central America, a key route for cocaine moving toward the United States, where criminal organizations have exploited weak institutions to fuel corruption and bloodshed.<\/p>

The friction between Fernandez’s administration and the judiciary has focused on two main flashpoints: steep budget cuts being imposed on the court system, and a legislative push to allow Congress \u2014 rather than the Supreme Court \u2014 to choose who serves as attorney general.<\/p>

Matters came to a head last week when Fernandez publicly accused the judiciary of being infiltrated by organized crime “to the core.” She also criticized the courts for blocking the tough “iron fist” security approach her government has been pushing, a strategy modeled after policies used by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, whose mass incarceration campaign \u2014 roughly 90,000 people jailed \u2014 has dramatically reduced crime in El Salvador.<\/p>

Judicial officials have pushed back hard, denying any corruption and demanding that Fernandez back up her claims with evidence. They warn that the planned budget reductions for 2026 and 2027 would undermine democratic oversight and actually make it harder to fight crime.<\/p>

Fernandez ran for office on a tough-on-crime message, promising to bring order back to a country of 5.2 million people where approximately two people are killed every day. The murder rate has held stubbornly high since reaching a record 17.2 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2023 \u2014 twice the rate seen a decade earlier.<\/p>

Security Minister Gerald Campos told Reuters the conviction rate for murders is alarmingly low. “The problem here is not a lack of an army\u2026 the problem is a lack of convictions in the courts,” he said, noting that only 38% of homicides lead to a conviction.<\/p>

Both government officials and experts point to drug trafficking networks exploiting Costa Rica’s geography as a key driver of the violence, using the country as a staging point to move narcotics to markets further north.<\/p>

Evelyn Villarreal, coordinator of the State of Justice report \u2014 a research initiative that monitors Costa Rica’s justice system \u2014 warned that internal fighting is making an already difficult situation worse. “Facing an enemy with infinite resources\u2026 fighting among ourselves makes it very difficult to be prepared,” she said.<\/p>

Shortly after taking office, Fernandez called on Attorney General Carlo Diaz and senior Supreme Court justices to resign, saying they had failed to address the security emergency. None have done so.<\/p>

Patricia Solano, who leads the country’s top criminal court, rejected the notion that the judiciary bears responsibility for the rise in crime. She argued the government’s true goal is to weaken an essential democratic institution. “Since 2022, we have seen a systematic attack against the judiciary,” Solano said, pointing to actions that began under former President Rodrigo Chaves, who belongs to the same political party as Fernandez.<\/p>

Solano also noted that the prison population has grown by 36% since 2020, with Costa Rica’s incarceration rate now at 366 per 100,000 people \u2014 ranking 22nd highest in the world in 2024, according to the World Prison Brief.<\/p>

On the streets, everyday residents expressed exhaustion and frustration with the political conflict. “We are still in bad shape, even if they say they are doing things and fighting each other,” said Karina Bola\u00f1os, a 39-year-old shopkeeper in Goicoechea, north of the capital. “The country has changed for the worse.”<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A major conflict between Costa Rica’s newly elected president and the country’s judiciary is hampering efforts to fight a deadly drug violence crisis. The standoff involves budget cuts to the courts and a proposal to shift the power to appoint the attorney general away from the Supreme Court. Ordinary citizens say the political fighting is making things worse on the ground.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":93387,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[832],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-93388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783621034199.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-oig","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":61621,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/us-cancels-visas-for-costa-rican-newspaper-executives-sparks-press-freedom-debate\/","url_meta":{"origin":93388,"position":0},"title":"US Cancels Visas for Costa Rican Newspaper Executives, Sparks Press Freedom Debate","author":"Admin","date":"May 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The United States has canceled entry visas for multiple board members of La Naci\u00f3n, a major Costa Rican newspaper that has been critical of the country's outgoing president. The move has triggered accusations that the US is working with Costa Rica's government to silence political critics and opponents.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1777919812539.jpg?fit=1000%2C655&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1777919812539.jpg?fit=1000%2C655&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1777919812539.jpg?fit=1000%2C655&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1777919812539.jpg?fit=1000%2C655&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63793,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/costa-rican-president-elect-promises-aggressive-crime-crackdown\/","url_meta":{"origin":93388,"position":1},"title":"Costa Rican President-Elect Promises Aggressive Crime Crackdown","author":"Admin","date":"May 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Laura Fernandez will be sworn in as Costa Rica's president Friday, pledging an aggressive campaign against organized crime. The 39-year-old right-wing politician takes power as the Central American nation faces record murder rates linked to drug trafficking.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778252016778.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":64911,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/costa-ricas-new-president-wants-to-move-embassy-back-to-jerusalem\/","url_meta":{"origin":93388,"position":2},"title":"Costa Rica’s New President Wants to Move Embassy Back to Jerusalem","author":"Admin","date":"May 11, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Costa Rica's newly inaugurated President Laura Fern\u00e1ndez Delgado has expressed her desire to relocate the country's Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv back to Jerusalem. This would reverse a 2006 decision that moved the embassy to align with international diplomatic practices.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778519340716.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":40303,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/ex-yankees-player-files-lawsuit-over-sons-death-at-costa-rica-resort\/","url_meta":{"origin":93388,"position":3},"title":"Ex-Yankees Player Files Lawsuit Over Son’s Death at Costa Rica Resort","author":"Admin","date":"March 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner has filed a wrongful death lawsuit following his 14-year-old son's carbon monoxide poisoning at a Costa Rican resort in March. The legal action targets the resort's owners and operators, alleging improper ventilation led to the teenager's death during a family vacation.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774047041495.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774047041495.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774047041495.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1774047041495.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":62388,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/costa-rican-president-secures-ministerial-role-to-maintain-legal-immunity\/","url_meta":{"origin":93388,"position":4},"title":"Costa Rican President Secures Ministerial Role to Maintain Legal Immunity","author":"Admin","date":"May 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Costa Rica's outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves will serve as both Minister of the Presidency and Finance Minister under his successor Laura Fern\u00e1ndez, allowing him to retain immunity from corruption charges. The unprecedented arrangement continues Chaves' influence over the government despite facing allegations of illegal campaign finance and corruption.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778031460170.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778031460170.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778031460170.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778031460170.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":50730,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/costa-rica-welcomes-first-deportees-from-us-under-new-third-country-deal\/","url_meta":{"origin":93388,"position":5},"title":"Costa Rica Welcomes First Deportees from US Under New Third-Country Deal","author":"Admin","date":"April 11, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Costa Rica has begun accepting migrants deported from the United States who are not Costa Rican citizens, marking the start of a controversial agreement signed in March. The first group of 25 people from eight different countries arrived Saturday as part of President Trump's expanded deportation efforts.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775953279531.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93388"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93388\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}