Costa Rica Launches Mega-Prison CACCO Under ‘Tough-on-Crime’ Blueprint
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Costa Rica has officially inaugurated a new mega-prison aimed at tackling a severe rise in homicide rates and organized crime. President Laura Fernández opened the High-Containment Centre Against Organized Crime (CACCO) in a ceremony on Wednesday. The facility is designed to hold 5,100 inmates—equivalent to approximately twenty percent of the country’s current prison population—and emphasizes strict control measures to isolate dangerous offenders.
President Fernández stated that the CACCO represents a formal shift toward a strict \”tough-on-crime\” model, positioning the nation as a potential global authority on prison security. This initiative comes as neighboring regions adopt similar extremes to curb violence. Right-wing leaders across Latin America have cited El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele as a prime example, seeking to emulate the president’s adoption of mass detention and the broad imposition of law enforcement powers to suppress gangactivity.
National crime statistics reflect the urgency behind the construction. In 2023, the country recorded a devastating 905 homicides, a figure that dropped slightly to 876 in 2024 before stabilizing at 873 in 2025. Analysts point to intense conflicts between rival criminal syndicates vying for monopoly over lucrative drug distribution routes as a primary driver of this spike. The new facility will see its initial wave of transfers arrive at the close of October, according to Justice Minister Gabriel Aguilar, aiming to restore governmental oversight of prisons previously compromised by illicit infiltration.
The push for mega-prisons extends beyond El Salvador. Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori has announced intentions to tour the Terrorism Confinement Centre (CECOT) in Antigua, intending to establish a similar site within her borders. Meanwhile, Colombia’s newly elected president, Abelardo de la Espriella, campaigned heavily on a platform promising the construction of ten mega-prisons. Although Brazil is currently in a fiercely contested presidential campaign, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro continues to push a five-prison initiative rooted in the Salvadoran blueprint.
Bukele’s own legacy has faced criticism from international watchdogs who caution that mega-prison environments often suffer from inadequate infrastructure and severe human rights abuses. Critics highlight reports of overcrowded cells, restrictions on legal counsel, and instances of beatings at facilities such as CECOT, warning that the cost of public safety may come at the expense of democratic norms.