Costa Rican President Laura Fernandez has made security one of her government's top priorities, advancing construction of the Center for High Containment of Organized Crime (CACCO), a maximum-security prison partly inspired by the penitentiary policies championed by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.

Construction at the complex in Alajuela province, about 20 km (12 miles) northwest of San Jose, shows cells, corridors, restroom areas and security systems still being built, according to images released by the Justice Ministry in July.

The project aims to house inmates deemed highly dangerous and to cut off alleged criminal operations run from behind bars.

Fernandez, who backed the initiative during her election campaign, said after winning the vote that Costa Rica should no longer provide "shelter, food and protection" to criminals who continue running gangs from prison.

At a groundbreaking ceremony in January attended by Bukele, the Salvadoran leader said Costa Rica had a chance to tackle the problem before it reached the levels El Salvador faced years ago.

The prison, now 89% complete, will have capacity for 5,000 inmates, equivalent to 20% of Costa Rica's prison population.

The strategy has drawn criticism from human rights specialists, however. Analyst Marco Feoli said the policy is inspired by the "spectacle" of the Salvadoran model and argued that Costa Rica faces a different reality, without the strong presence of the dangerous Mara gangs. He also questioned the public exposure of some detainees during recent police operations, saying such practices can be humiliating and lack a legitimate security purpose.

Public opinion is divided. Some residents interviewed by Reuters backed tougher measures against crime, saying it has undermined the country's stability, while others voiced doubts about the effectiveness of a policy focused on toughening the prison system to reduce crime.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Costa Rica advances construction of Bukele-style maximum security prison

VIDEO SHOWS: FACILITIES OF HIGH-CONTAINMENT CENTER FOR ORGANISED CRIME PRISON (CACCO) UNDER CONSTRUCTION / SOUNDBITES FROM COSTA RICAN PRESIDENT, SALVADORAN PRESIDENT AND ANALYST

SHOWS: ALAJUELA, COSTA RICA (ARCHIVE - JULY 18, 2026) (MINISTRY OF JUSTICE OF COSTA RICA HANDOUT - Access all)

1. (MUTE) FACILITIES OF HIGH-CONTAINMENT CENTER FOR ORGANISED CRIME PRISON (CACCO) UNDER CONSTRUCTION

2. WORKERS BUILDING THE PRISON

3. (MUTE) POLICE OFFICER NEXT TO DOOR CELL / CELL INTERIOR

4. FACILITIES OF PRISON UNDER CONSTRUCTION

5. CELL WINDOW BEING CLOSED

6. POLICE OFFICER WALKING ALONG PRISON CORRIDORS

7. FACILITIES OF PRISON UNDER CONSTRUCTION

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA (ARCHIVE - FEBRUARY 2, 2026) (LAURA FERNANDEZ CAMPAIGN TEAM HANDOUT - Access all) (SOUNDBITE RUNS OVER DIFFERENT SHOTS OF FERNANDEZ)

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) THEN PRESIDENT-ELECT OF COSTA RICA, LAURA FERNANDEZ, SAYING:

"It is not right that the people of Costa Rica give shelter, food, and protection to criminals who are in prison and who, from jail, continue to run gangs and harm the people of Costa Rica. That prison has to become a reality. Just last night I had a phone call with the president of El Salvador, Mr. Nayib Bukele, who once again reiterated his commitment to keep collaborating and cooperating with us so that our country can carry out that project and many others, where El Salvador is an example, to a good end."

ALAJUELA, COSTA RICA (ARCHIVE - JANUARY 14, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

9. VARIOUS OF CACCO PRISON UNDER CONSTRUCTION

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) EL SALVADOR'S PRESIDENT, NAYIB BUKELE, SAYING:

"The blessing of God to be able to solve this problem before it becomes what it did in El Salvador, and that is going to save you lives; it is going to save you money, it is going to save you years of life, of suffering."

ALAJUELA, COSTA RICA (ARCHIVE - JULY 18, 2026) (MINISTRY OF JUSTICE OF COSTA RICA HANDOUT - Access all)

11. VARIOUS OF CACCO PRISON UNDER CONSTRUCTION

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA (AUGUST 19, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

12. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) COSTA RICA'S PRESIDENT, LAURA FERNANDEZ, SAYING:

"This issue remains the main concern of the people of Costa Rica: national security, and for that reason, in my government, we have given it every priority."

ALAJUELA, COSTA RICA (ARCHIVE - JULY 18, 2026) (MINISTRY OF JUSTICE OF COSTA RICA HANDOUT - Access all)

13. (MUTE) CELLS IN CACCO PRISON

14. WATER TANKS FOR TOILETS

15. WATER TAPS

16. PRISON FACILITIES UNDER CONSTRUCTION

17. TOILETS INSIDE CELL

18. (MUTE) TOILETS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA (AUGUST 12, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

19. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT ANALYST, MARCO FEOLI, SAYING:

"It is a policy clearly inspired by the sensationalism and the spectacle of Nayib Bukele, but with a component that seems to me very sad, which is: Costa Rica does not have the problems that El Salvador has."

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA (ARCHIVE - JUNE 23, 2026) (PUBLIC ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OF COSTA RICA HANDOUT - Access all)

20. VARIOUS OF POLICE DURING RAID OPERATION

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA (AUGUST 12, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

21. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT ANALYST, MARCO FEOLI, SAYING:

“All this concept, used in a country like El Salvador, where they show us these gangs with their own identity and way of operating, is put on display, might make sense in that context. We don’t have anything like that here. A few weeks ago, a lawyer arrested for bribery was shown tied and shackled at the hands and feet, wearing an orange uniform. That serves no purpose other than to humiliate and expose someone who may have committed an offense and should be held accountable if he did. But that does not give the state the right to turn itself into a mafia state and behave like just another criminal.”

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA (AUGUST 18, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

22. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN STREETS

23. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RESIDENT, NATASHA RODRIGUEZ, SAYING:

"I do support them (the government), because if they (offenders) can take away the rights of people who live well, who contribute good values to society. Why give benefits to someone who instead takes the lives of Costa Ricans?"

24. PEOPLE WALKING IN STREET

25. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RESIDENT, VANESSA MONTERO, SAYING:

"I am against everything that she does because with these actions she is not going to reduce crime and everything that is happening in this country."

26. PEOPLE WALKING IN STREETS

27. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RESIDENT, JOSE LEYVA, SAYING:

"I support it because there is a lot of crime in the country. It would be nice to feel free as a human being, to walk in a free country."

ALAJUELA, COSTA RICA (ARCHIVE - JULY 18, 2026) (MINISTRY OF JUSTICE OF COSTA RICA HANDOUT - Access all)

28. OFFICER WALKING ALONG CORRIDORS OF CACCO PRISON

29. CELLS OF PRISON

30. (MUTE) PRISON FACILITIES UNDER CONSTRUCTION

31. (MUTE) CELLS OF PRISON

32. (MUTE) OFFICER CLOSING CELL DOOR