Costa Rica President Open to US Ground Ops

Costa Rican President Laura Fernandez has indicated that potential United States ground operations within her country could bolster national security, provided they are focused on combating transnational crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism. However, she emphasized that no concrete plans are currently under discussion with Washington and any such deployment would necessitate approval from Costa Rica's legislature. Fernandez made these remarks in an interview on Friday, September 4, 2026. She stated that operations aligned with a common objective against transnational threats would be beneficial. The president, a rightwing populist who assumed office in May 2026, has campaigned on a platform of addressing rising crime and restoring order in Costa Rica, a nation grappling with increased drug trafficking and violence. Despite the challenges, Fernandez has stated she is not considering declaring a state of emergency or suspending constitutional guarantees, a measure sometimes used to grant authorities expanded powers to combat crime. The country's homicide rate reached a record 17.2 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023, a figure that has doubled over the past decade.