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20 years

Costa Rica’s capital city is becoming a war zone (VIDEO)

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(ALONSO TENORIO / La Nacion / Fair Use)

(Photo: ALONSO TENORIO / La Nacion / Fair Use)

October 13th, 2015 (ICR News) A security camera on Friday captured the scene as multiple gunmen with fully-automatic AK-47s intercepted a taxi and sprayed the vehicle with a hail of bullets in broad daylight in San Francisco de Dos Rios around 8:30 a.m.

 

Nearly 100 rounds shred through the vehicle, killing passenger Dennis Patricio Omier Taylor and leaving his girlfriend and the taxi driver seriously wounded.

Taylor, the target of the assassination, was himself linked to at least 15 murders and was a suspected hit man for a Limon-based narco gang, the leader of which was himself gunned down while traveling in a taxi in July.

 

That was on Friday, just three days ago.  Since then another nine people have been gunned down and killed in the San Jose metro area, seven of which are believed to likely be gang related.

 

On Monday, police arrested eight men involved in a shootout in Pavas that sent bullets flying into the homes of innocent neighborhood residents the day prior.

 

San Jose, it seems, is turning into a warzone, and authorities seem unable to do much about it.

 

Only 20 percent of San Jose homicides linked to narco gangs or organized crime investigated by the Judicial Investigative Police (OIJ) so far this year have led to any arrests, let alone convictions.  Nationally, just 37 percent of all murders (gang-related or not) in the last year have led to arrests – with even fewer convictions.  That means there are potentially hundreds of killers walking the streets freely.

 

Nationally, Costa Rica’s homicide rate has increased an alarming 50 percent in the last year, mostly the result of narco gangs competing for turf in the capital city, according to authorities.  The country’s homicide rate now exceeds what the World Health Organization (WHO) describes as “epidemic.”

 

In August – which set a new record for killings with 60 recorded murders that month – Costa Rica’s chief prosecutor, Attorney General Jorge Chavarria warned that violence in Costa Rica is headed to a “point of no return.”

 

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  • disgusted

    Nothing the O.I.J. or the police can do about this? All kinds of cameras However, none of them that can get the license plate or face pictures lifted? This is a warning to those who visit here and could be caught up as collateral damage. The control of gangs who control the drugs and contraband. No army only local policeman that are out manned and outgunned. So sad CR being in the cross fire. The police at night stay in their station fearing to go out at night in many areas. Oh Boy!

    • Ben

      The police in Costa Rica are quiting left and right now after this shooting i have been told. Costa Rica is heading down a scary time in it history expect the unexpected. Also your right on the money cops stay hidden now at night in fear of there life so really Costa Rica is now lawless and unable to be govered by the corupt Unions and Presidents.

  • lazymainer

    Time to call out the local militia…opps..keep passing anti guns laws..you’ll see more..please don’t ask the USA for assistance $$$ wise..

  • Chris Thomas

    CR is not the victim, they have created this nightmare for their own serving purposes, the only victims are the common folk the CR government is doing business with the drug cartels and allowing this to happen.

  • Ken Morris

    It’s appropriate that this story is next to the one about the opening of a new mall in Alajuela.

    When most development, jobs, middle-class people, and even the free-trade zones are in the suburbs, what do you think is going to happen in the core city?

    I realize that there’s more to it than this, but I don’t believe the cops-and-robbers approach is the right one. This only leads to perpetual war with escalating firepower and brutality on both sides, (Can anyone say Colombia or Mexico?) Neither does an armed citizenry make much sense. (Citizens are supposed to tote around AK-47s?) Economic development initiatives superior to tourism, especially in Limón and other pockets of poverty where the drug gangs are sinking their tenacles are crucial.

    However, the elephant in the room is the willful deterioration of San José. Neighborhoods there are left to rot while the government pumps money into more commuter arteries that encourage more people to leave for the government-subsidized suburbs.

    The most important upcoming election is for mayor of San José. The country needs a mayor who understands what makes for good cities better than Araya ever did. However, the national government needs to get on board too.

    • gc

      … because social programs have cured poverty, education, crime and the environment don’t ya know. the Rudi plan is functional. functional, something the left is disconnected from.

    • Ben

      Ken your very out of touch with average Costa Rican. I will say this about your comment Araya the ex mayor is a corupt person and never did anything to help San Jose.

      • Ken Morris

        No I’m not out of touch.

        I know very well that the average Costa Rican has nearly no understanding of or therefore concern for the ways in which core cities like San José contribute to or detract from the overall quality of life in myriad ways, including crime.

        This however is the problem, and from it springs the further problem that neither the elected officials nor the bureaucrats charged with managing urban affairs understands or cares about San José.

        Mind, as a rule gringos aren’t well-informed about urban issues either, and in fact US cities are among the world’s worst. This leads to the additional problem that in trying to copy US affluence, many other countries, including it appears Costa Rica, are also copying the urban mistakes of the US.

        However, there is a literature available to anyone who is interested on how to make cities better or worse, and no shortage of global examples of better cities than San José or most of those in the US. I therefore find it hard to excuse those charged with managing San José for remaining oblivious to this literature and these examples.

        I’m not such a populist that when the herd is wrong I choose to follow it anyway.

        • Ben

          I agree with 85% of what you say.San Jose is big problem and lazy corupt public sector unions and goverment have really not helped at all. The only way to change thing is by people overthrowing a corupt goverment to help the poor and what is left of the middle class.

  • prdatki

    THe first thing that needs to be done is have capital Punishment,remove their organs and sell them. The prisoners need to work, very hard labor. Legalize and tax Marijuana . Make it much easier to buy weapons. Trained and armed citizens will reduce crime. Then audit all Judges and politicians, the crooked one should be executed.

  • duke ster

    I don’t know about you all but I bailed out already. Nothing exciting about Costa Rica, no where to go, nothing to do, every person and his brother stealing whatever they can when you look away for even one second. To say the locals don’t like us is an understatement of the year. I mean you might have a different outlook but I couldn’t see a bright future in CR.
    After a few years it becomes an exercise in futility just being there.
    I hope everyone has a big savings under their mattress because the pensions are dwindling and if the value of the dollar is going to hold–great but that is not what they are saying. Supposedly the Illumanati has a plan to crash the dollar so they can step into the electronic “currency” so that they can control everyone much easier. What will you do ? Being in a foreign country with a currency which is becoming worthless? Somebody please tell me a good plan to stay in CR.

  • Ben

    So far in Costa Rica in this year there has been 477 murders. 277 murders where crime related. Channel 7 just said the police in Costa Rica can´t handle the problem with crime in Costa Rica. Many honest Costa Rican are buying Guns and lots of Ammo to defend there families. My wife just purchased another gun. Costa Rica is now under attack by Crime and corupt public sector Unions and bad planning. The police in Costa Rica and slow to react to any major crime and in places like Pavas and Limon crime is a way of life for the people there. I know business that pay street tax to organized crime in Costa Rica to stay open and protected. Costa Rica is a real mess sorry to say this its the dam truth. Buy a gun or rifle and protect your home and family. The police are slow to protect you.

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