{
  "id": 3730072,
  "title": "Runaway Drug Violence Sets Off a Political Earthquake in Costa Rica",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/runaway-drug-violence-sets-off-a-political-earthquake-in-costa-rica",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-27T11:43:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindustan Times - World News",
    "slug": "hindustan-times-world-news",
    "url": "https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/runaway-drug-violence-sets-off-a-political-earthquake-in-costa-rica-101787823758775.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "LIMÓN, Costa Rica—Once a bastion of democratic stability in a region plagued by lawlessness, Costa Rica now faces a surge in drug violence that threatens to upend the nation's political landscape. Homicide rates have risen 50% since 2020, matching Mexico's murder rate. President Laura Fernández and her party attribute the rise to the independent judiciary, accusing it of being infiltrated by organized crime. In response, Fernández has slashed the judiciary's budget, filed criminal complaints against judges, and openly questioned why criminals escape arrest. The judicial branch and opposition politicians claim Fernández is making a power grab. Demonstrators took to the streets in support of the judiciary, with slogans like \"We are afraid of dictatorship\" and \"Don't touch our independent judiciary.\" Costa Rican Attorney General Carlo Díaz warned that cuts to the judiciary's budget could create chaos, aiding organized crime. This battle over security has become a political earthquake, echoing a trend across Latin America where leaders push for the public to sacrifice democratic protections in exchange for promises to end violence. Costa Rica's recent election saw Rodrigo Chaves elected, who advocated for tackling corruption, but Chaves' methods of suspending civil liberties and increasing arrests in response to violence have infuriated opponents. Fernández, Chaves' handpicked successor, appointed him to key ministerial positions. Former State Department official Riccardo Zuñiga believes Fernández and Chaves are targeting the judiciary to weaken the one branch of government they don't control. Costa Rica's economy remains robust, but drug cartels have begun exploiting the country's proximity to Colombia's coca fields and its extensive coastal routes. The opening of a major container terminal in Limón in 2019 has made the nation a prime transshipment point for cocaine headed to the United States and Europe.",
  "summary": "A bastion of democratic stability grapples with the fallout of a surge in narcotics trafficking.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}