San José, Costa Rica / Wirralwater, Flickr.com
Costa Rica has been an example for years in Latin America. Economic growth, tourism, an image of natural paradise, a strong democracy… The situation seemed to be ideal in an area torn by guerrillas, coups and violence. But recent events could put the model into question. While Costa Rica prepares the presidential election (in February 2010), security is at the center of debates. And in a country where the rate of foreigners is one of the highest in the world (10% of the global population), insecurity is often assimilated with migrants.
“I will expel criminal aliens”. The sentence was used as a campaign slogan by one of the candidates, the Christian Democrat Luis Fishman (himself the son of Polish immigrants!) President Oscar Arias approved laws that restrict matrimonial possibilities for foreigners and prohibit them the carrying of weapons after a police officer was shot during a confrontation with young Jamaicans. Some politicians ask for the borders closure and zero immigration. Nicaraguan community is criticized. It is the most important one with about 400 thousand people. Most of them are among the poorest of Costa Rica.
Even if the situation of Costa Rica is enviable in Latin America, some organizations ask politicians not to fall in the danger of a rich nation by rejecting the fault of violence on migrants. Electoral trend or society phenomenon? It is probably one of the first “rich” problem of a country that leads the economical growth of the area
Barrio latino 