The National Chamber of Tourism (Canatur) reacts after US President Donald Trump mentioned Costa Rica in a speech discussing insecurity. US President Donald Trump was comparing the violence rates in Washington with other capitals and cities around the world. His capital reports 41 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, which exceeds the figures for other cities such as Baghdad, Bogotá, Mexico City, and San José.
“We are twice as high as Baghdad, Panama City, Brasilia, and San José in Costa Rica; Bogotá in Colombia, with its serious drug problems; Mexico City; and Lima in Peru. In all cases, we have doubled or tripled their statistics,” he lashed out, showing a graph with a red line illustrating the figures. Shortly before, he directly mentioned other nations, calling them the “worst.”
Washington D.C. out of control
“The homicide rate in Washington today is higher than that of Bogotá and Mexico City, places that are often described as the worst in the world. Much higher,” said the U.S. president.
Canatur recommends taking control
The executive director of the business group, Shirley Calvo, shared a message with the press, in which she said that Trump’s statement “is still a wake-up call.” She indicated that Canatur has been raising its voice for several years about the effects that the increase in insecurity and homicides could have in the country. In addition to the social damage, this could also affect tourists’ travel decisions and impact the national economy.
“The only way to avoid appearing in these types of references and statistics is to regain control of our country’s security,” Calvo stated. The leader said that the business sector has placed its trust in the country’s police forces and the efforts they are making to contain crime. He asked the Executive and Legislative branches to provide them with the resources they need.
Calvo believes that the authorities’ actions should be aimed at “restoring security to Costa Ricans and peace of mind to international tourists so they can continue visiting our country.”
