The Costa Rican Minister of Public Security, Mario Zamora, urged the deputies to avoid alarmism and not affect the international image of Costa Rica regarding the arrival of migrants deported from the United States, in response to the statements of legislator Oscar Izquierdo, head of the National Liberation Party (PLN) faction.
Izquierdo warned that Costa Rica’s role in the migration bridge for the deportation of undocumented persons could damage its reputation, especially if the human rights of those repatriated are not guaranteed.
The deputy’s concern arose after the arrival of 200 migrants from countries such as Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Georgia and China, a process that has been questioned by the Ombudsman’s Office and by the legislator.
No human rights violations
In response, Zamora dismissed the criticism and stated that there are no concrete facts that could be classified as human rights violations in the deportation process. “Today’s report is speculative and out of touch with the reality of the facts by pointing out violations of the rights of people deported from the US, since there is no concrete fact that could be classified as a violation of rights,” he said.
The Security chief emphasized that the real damage to the country’s image comes from unfounded accusations by high-level figures. “Rather, Costa Rica’s international image could be affected when people who hold positions of that level, such as the deputy, state violations of human rights that have never occurred. That is indeed worrying,” Zamora said.
The minister also highlighted that international organizations such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations have congratulated the Costa Rican government for its high standard of respect for human rights in immigration matters.
Costa Rica strengthened ties with the United States
The issue has generated a broad debate, in a context in which Costa Rica has strengthened its ties with the United States, with initiatives such as the implementation of 5G technology under conditions promoted by Washington and the recent visit of the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. This has raised suspicions about whether the country is giving in to political pressures that could compromise its tradition in defense of human rights.
On this point, President Rodrigo Chaves minimized the criticism and assured that cooperation with the United States on migration matters responds to a relationship of mutual benefit.
“Now the United States is coming, which is treating us very well and we are treating them too, because we are close collaborators (…) 200 (migrants) come, we treat them well and they leave,” said Chaves.
