US Soldiers
Preferred To
Move About Costa Rica Than
Thugs and Drug
Dealers,
Anti-Drug
Commissioner
Says
Presidenta Laura
Chinchilla said
yesterday that
the government
of Costa Rica
does not intend
to militarize
the fight
against drugs,
although it has
authorized the
entry of 46 US
warships.
On her facebook
page, the
presidenta said
the the ministro
de Seguridad,
José María
Tijerino, and
the government's
anti-drug
commissioner,
Mauricio
Boraschi, will
be making a full
explanation of
the request by
the United
States
government for
authorization of
46 ships, 200
helicopters,
7.000 soldiers
and ten Harrier
combat planes
for the period
between July 1
and December 31,
2010.
Both Tijerino
and Boraschi
visited on
Saturday Costa
Rica's main
daily, La Nación,
as part of a
campaign to
explain the
position of the
government,
assuring that in
no way is Costa
Rica looking to
militarize.
In 1999 Costa
Rica and the
United States
reached an
agreement to
allow US to
patrol the Costa
Rican coastal
areas. Tijerino
said that the US
program is under
the control of
the US Coast
Guard servies
and not the
"Navy".
The security
minister
explained that
the warships
authorized in
Costa Rica will
not be under the
command of the
Navy and their
actions are
solely to
support US and
Costa Rican
Coast Guard
efforts.
As to the
uniformed US
troops, both
Tijerino and
Boraschi said
they will not be
in Costa Rica at
the same time
nor will they be
in any way be
working in any
official police
capacity nor be
performing any
duties that
correspond to
the Costa Rican
police.
On Thursday, as
is customary,
the Legislative
Assembly gave
the US
authorization.
Tijerino said
that this
authorization is
no different
than the
authorizations
of the past
other than the
number of ships.
For his part,
Boraschi
stresses that it
is preferable
that US soldiers
move about in
the country that
thugs and drug
dealers. |
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