Fabián Silva Gamboa, a constitutional lawyer who advises President-elect Laura Fernández, suggested a change to the Political Constitution that would let the US build military bases in Costa Rica. He said that the approach will help fight drug trafficking and organized crime more effectively.
Silva said that the sites may be built in coastal provinces like Limón, Puntarenas, and Guanacaste, which are significant drug trafficking routes. He thought that having a presence there would scare off criminal groups and make it easier to catch drug leaders so they could be sent to the US for prosecution.
Silva remarked on Canal OPA’s Octavo Mandamiento show, “Put U.S. military bases in Limón, Puntarenas, and Guanacaste, and take those drug lords away.”
The lawyer talked about the legal and practical restrictions that Costa Rica has to cope with when it comes to transnational criminal networks. He asked for a genuine national conversation about amendments to the Constitution and agreements that would let U.S. military forces stay at key locations across the country.
“Crime happens here, but it hurts people in all countries. Silva said, “We shouldn’t have to deal with this mafia in Costa Rica.” He said leaders should approach the topic from a patriotic standpoint and avoid personal attacks.
Silva also asked if the new Legislative Assembly is mature and patriotic enough to manage a debate of this size. He wanted to know if the new deputies would talk about the issue seriously instead of just repeating the insults and fights that had happened before.
In 1948, Costa Rica got rid of its army. Article 12 of the Constitution says, “The Army is not allowed to be a permanent institution.” There will be enough police to keep an eye on things and keep the peace. “Military forces can only be organized through continental agreement or for national defense; both will always be subordinate to civil power.”
Any move toward foreign military outposts would need to change the Constitution. The process requires a majority of eligible members in the Legislative Assembly and a wide range of political support. Since 1949, the choice to terminate the army has been one of the most important parts of the Costa Rican state.
Silva is part of the group of advisors that Fernández showed on February 18. Lawyers Juan Diego Castro, Fabián Volio, and María Lourdes Echandi Gurdián are also part of the group. Fernández will start work on May 8.
The Organismo de Investigación Judicial and the Ministry of Public Security have both said that drug trafficking has led to more violence and that Costa Rica is being used to store and move cocaine to the US and Europe. Coastal provinces are more vulnerable due of their ports and location.
In 2010, Congress allowed U.S. ships and people to temporarily enter the country to work together on drug operations. That initiative stayed within the restrictions that were already in place and got the go-ahead from the legislature. A permanent base arrangement would go far further and require the whole reform process under Article 195.
CR Hoy asked the President-elect’s office to respond to Silva’s statement. By the time this was published, there had been no answer. The plan brought back old debates about Costa Rica’s tradition of peace and neutrality, as well as issues of sovereignty and security cooperation.
