A high-level delegation from Costa Rica, led by Minister of Justice and Peace Ronald Campos Valverde and Vice Minister of the same institution, arrived in El Salvador this Friday to study the country’s security model—particularly its prison system and strategies used to combat terrorist organizations.
The visit comes as Costa Rica seeks to address growing concerns over crime and insecurity. Minister Campos Valverde emphasized that El Salvador’s notable reduction in crime, achieved through the Territorial Control Plan launched in 2019 and reinforced by the ongoing state of emergency, has drawn the attention of President Rodrigo Chaves, who is eager to replicate successful elements of the strategy in his own country.
«Today, El Salvador is one of the safest countries in the world, and Costa Rica wants to regain what has always characterized it: being a peaceful and secure country,» Campos Valverde stated during a joint press conference with Salvadoran Minister of Security, Gustavo Villatoro.
Campos Valverde praised El Salvador’s approach as a collection of effective practices for combating crime and restoring public safety. He underlined Costa Rica’s commitment to using all available resources to detain individuals who pose a threat to peaceful coexistence, asserting that violent actors must be «removed from circulation.»
“This alliance and friendship between Costa Rica and El Salvador is a very positive step,” he added. “It will allow us to study their methods, understand the processes behind their achievements, and adopt what is adaptable to our national context.”
Minister Villatoro, in turn, affirmed that El Salvador’s security strategy is not merely theoretical, but supported by concrete results and data. He reiterated that President Nayib Bukele’s administration is open to sharing its experience with nations facing similar security threats.
“The impact of our policies can be seen in the data, not just in stories,” Villatoro said. “We are pleased to share this with a sister nation like Costa Rica, which, until recently, was for us a beacon of peace. Sadly, due to the influence of certain globalist and so-called human rights organizations, it now faces challenges similar to those we once endured.”
He concluded by echoing President Bukele’s stance: “This is not about copying and pasting, but about understanding what we have done and applying what is possible in each country, in order to rescue thousands of Costa Ricans, thousands of Salvadorans, and imprison hundreds who threaten their safety.”
The visit marks a strengthening of bilateral cooperation between El Salvador and Costa Rica in the field of security and justice.
