The Costa Rican Minister of Public Security (MSP), Mario Zamora, stated that the influence of the Cartel de los Soles —the alleged criminal organization led by Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro— cannot be ruled out in the illegal gold mining that has triggered a security crisis in Crucitas, a district in the border province of Alajuela, where residents and local authorities report the presence of Nicaraguan artisanal miners crossing irregularly.
“We do not rule out that the Venezuelan narco-regime, through the Cartel de los Soles, has influence over the Crucitas area. There is, in fact, international intelligence information that points to this connection. Therefore, the approval of this bill to restore order in Crucitas is urgent and of the utmost importance,” Zamora said in a video published on the MSP’s official page.
The effects of the surge in mining activity in Crucitas, carried out by artisanal miners from Nicaragua who cross under the very eyes of the Army, are already evident. Such is the case of two young Nicaraguans, aged 20 and 24, who died inside one of the mining tunnels.
Bill in the Assembly
As the situation worsens, Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly is moving forward with a bill that exceptionally authorizes, regulates, and oversees metal mining in San Carlos, with the aim of stopping the environmental damage in Crucitas.
“The Government of the Republic submitted this bill to the members of the Legislative Assembly more than a year ago. However, to this day, the filibustering of a political party has precisely prevented a comprehensive solution to the Crucitas problem,” Zamora said.
Read also: Company Threatens to Sue Costa Rica over Crucitas Mining
Paramilitaries in Crucitas
This situation has even led to the arrival of armed individuals, identified in the motion as “paramilitaries.” The motion also warns that parallel economies have emerged, operating under the “law of the strongest.”
“Last week, armed individuals entered Costa Rican territory, and just 300 meters from the Crucitas school, a police contingent encountered a group that engaged in a shootout. This has happened on other occasions, escalating violence. The coligalleros (illegal miners) have had armed clashes with the Ministry of Security forces,” explained San Carlos municipal councilor Juan Pablo Rodríguez to LA PRENSA. He also expressed concern, noting that drug trafficking may be financing the illegal gold mining.
Read also: Illegal Mining Devours the Indio Maíz Reserve with the Dictatorship’s Complicity
Motion
On September 1, the San Carlos Municipal Council approved a motion requesting the declaration of a State of Emergency for a period of 12 months in the districts of Cutris and Pocosol, which border Nicaragua.
The motion, presented on August 25 by Juan Pablo Rodríguez, an independent alternate councilor of the San Carlos Municipality, proposes a deployment of Costa Rican security forces in the border area and the involvement of state institutions.
Read also: Chronicle from the San Juan River | Land Invasion Rapidly Destroys Wildlife Sanctuary
At the same time, it notes that the invasion of these territories—considered a violation of Costa Rican sovereignty by paramilitaries “and foreign forces”—has led the invaders themselves to demand health and education services.
