Costa Rica’s new president and violent crime

Costa Rica has a new president – Laura Chinchilla, who took office on May 8th 2010 – so I am recycling a TdJ that reveals her thoughts when she was Justice Minister in the government of President Oscar Arias.

In recent years we have witnessed an alarming increase in levels of criminal violence. ….

[D]uring the period 1990-2006 total crimes per 100,000 inhabitants increased from 135 to 295 and increases in some components are especially troubling. Robbery, for example, increased 700%, and use of illegal drugs increased 280%. Violent crimes also experienced a sharp growth of more than 100%. The murder rate, indicator par excellence of the level of violence in a country, increased 50% in that same period. As a complement for these indicators, we looked the percentage of households in which at least one family member has been victim of a crime and found that this number increased from 20% in 1986 to 27% in 1999 and 40% in 2004. ….

Increasing violence and fear has caused us to draft over the last fifteen years abundant laws regarding law enforcement and punishment. ….

As a result of all this legislation, … in the last ten years we have doubled the rate at which we jail our citizens, which places us at the head of countries with the highest rates of incarceration on this continent. Paradoxically, after adopting all these measures, violence and criminality continue to grow and the prevalence of fear is stronger today than ever. ….

For this reason the Government of the Republic… has proposed implementation of a National Plan for Prevention of Violence and Promotion of Social Peace.

19 August 2007: It is about time action was taken, given the rapidly deteriorating public security in Costa Rica. The author of this column, Laura Chinchilla, is Minister of Justice in the current government of President Oscar Arias. Thought du jour will be monitoring developments. Translated somewhat freely by L. Willmore. The original Spanish follows.

15 June 2010: I haven’t seen the statistics, but violent crime seems to continue rising in Costa Rica. We shall see whether Laura Chinchilla is more successful as President than she was as Justice Minister. We wish her well.

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One Response to “Costa Rica’s new president and violent crime”

  1. Steve says:

    Thank you in advance for your help.

    PRESS RELEASE
    6 December 2010

    World Wide Outcry To Stop Gender Violence Against UK Woman Burned In Costa Rica

    We are asking people from across the world, including key human rights activists, women’s rights activists, public intellectuals and citizens groups to support a global petition demanding action from Costa Rican President, Laura Chinchilla.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFJ0iErN0ME