Key Facts

—The trend. Costa Rica averaged 2.5 killings a day in 2023 and averages 1.9 so far in 2026.

—The projection. The judicial police expect under 800 homicides this year, against a record above 900 in 2023.

—The baseline. The country recorded about 570 killings in 2020, so the fall is from a peak, not to safety.

—The charge. President Laura Fernández says one man was detained up to 388 times without a case ever being opened.