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Weekly Report - 21 November 2024 (WR-24-46)
EL SALVADOR-COSTA RICA: Bukele meets with mixed reception
El Salvador’s authoritarian President Nayib Bukele has paid a two-day visit to Costa Rica, where he was greeted with open arms by his Costa Rican counterpart, Rodrigo Chaves. The right-of-centre Chaves has done little to conceal his admiration for Bukele who, since March 2022, has implemented a state of emergency as part of a declared war on gangs, significantly slashing homicide rates and boosting his popularity (while stoking human rights concerns). Faced with record homicides in Costa Rica, which have been attributed to the growing presence of international drug trafficking organisations (DTOs) [WR-24-05], Chaves has also made little secret of his desire to emulate Bukele in his response to insecurity. However, unlike Bukele, he lacks control of the legislature and judiciary, whose members pointedly refused to meet Bukele (who nonetheless remains popular among the Costa Rican public). This suggests that, in a country known for the strength of its democratic institutions, Chaves may well encounter resistance in pursuing such a strategy.
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