Costa Rica Now Part Of the Mérida Initiative
Costa Rica is now part of the Mérida
Initiative giving the country access to
us$4.3 million dollars in anti-drug
trafficking funding.
In his last public act as ambassador to
Costa Rica, Peter Cianchette, signed the
agreement Wednesday at Casa Presidencial,
who will be heading home with his family to
the US come Monday.
The Mérida Initiative is a security
cooperation between the United States and
the government of Mexico and the countries
of Central America, with the aim of
combating the threats of drug trafficking,
transnational crime and money laundering.
The assistance includes training, equipment
and intelligence.
The money is expected to be used to purchase
better equipment and the modernization of
the Costa Rican coast guard, to fight the
war on drugs. The participation in the
initiative also allows the exchange of
fingerprint information.
Cianchette declined to give an interview on
his depature. Appointed in May 2008 by
former US president, George W. Bush,
Cianchette was instrumental in the
implementation of the Central American Free
Trade Agreement (CAFTA) or Tratado de Libre
Comercio (TLC), as it is known in Costa
Rica, and in providing aid to the recovery
effort of the Cinchona earthquake of January
8 this year.
In the coming months, representatives of the
US government will meet with Costa Rican
officials to review the progress of the
project and provide assistance in
implementing monitoring of drug traffickers.
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Peter Cianchette, outgoing US ambassador to
Costa Rica, signs the Mérida Initiative
agreement.
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