Editorial: Extradition of nationals |

If Costa Rica refuses to follow the footsteps of Mexico and Colombia on this issue, it will be due to a serious misunderstanding of its prominent role in the transfer of illegal drugs and the foreseeable short-term consequences. Our territory provides ideal conditions for drug trafficking, and criminals take advantage of these conditions.

Organized crime is no longer a foreign phenomenon with local accomplices. Among the heads of important organizations are nationals, while others deal in drugs belonging to foreign drug cartels, especially Mexican ones. There is a large movement of people here, and there are clear signs that crime has penetrated the political and government spheres.

In the light of the violence of the civil war for control of territory and commerce, which manifests itself in terrible homicide rates, we can no longer boast of being a peaceful nation while turning a blind eye to the unrest that is common in other countries. It is time to recognize this reality and carefully consider the recommendations of the Mexican and Colombian authorities.

Gonzalo Gomez Escobar, an advisor to the Colombian Attorney General’s Office, spoke about the country’s approval and subsequent seven-year moratorium on the extradition of nationals, which large drug cartels used to grow and control the country. In 1997, Pablo Escobar and other drug kingpins forced the measure to be reinstated. Since then, Colombia has successfully dismantled major drug cartels.

Miguel Angel Mendez, Mexico’s special prosecutor for international affairs, and Arturo Bernardino Tokoski, head of the special unit for overseas crimes at the Mexican Attorney General’s Office, also advocated for the approval of this measure, which has been in place in Mexico since 1994, based on their long experience.

“When drug traffickers are extradited, their means of communication are severed and they cannot order the killing of witnesses or threaten those who provide vital information leading to their capture,” Mendes said. Extradition can also reduce impunity through cross-border cooperation.

Both Colombia and Mexico have suggested expanding the scope of the reform to cover more crimes. The first warning is that if we only talk about drug trafficking and terrorism, there is a risk of impunity, as extradition requests often include money laundering, conspiracy or collusion in the crime. “If the reform is limited to drug trafficking, all these requests must be rejected and will lead to impunity,” he explained.

“My suggestion is to be open to all types of crime. We have serious problems, such as human trafficking, which is a huge human tragedy,” said the Colombian prosecutor who has been involved in more than 2,000 extradition cases. In addition, he suggested allowing extradition when the crimes were also committed in Costa Rica, because by their nature, they cross borders and violate various legal systems, including the criminal’s own.

In any extradition, countries must demand respect for the human rights and procedural safeguards of the accused. They must also ensure the classification of the crime in both jurisdictions. In addition, there must be reciprocity. All of these safeguards preserve national sovereignty, which is not respected by drug trafficking and organized crime. It is advisable to act while there is time.