On October 2nd, 2016, in Cieneguita, Limón, 2 hooded shooters discharged dozens of bullets into a car parked near the beach. They managed to kill one of their targets, but 4 other innocent people, including an 11-year-old boy also died.
In a different situation, a Nicaraguan killed two adults and three children in February, 2016 in Matapalo, Guanacaste.
These 10 victims are a clear example of what the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) calls a “multiple homicide”: this phenomenon was the responsible of making 2016 the most violent year in Costa Rica history.
Preliminarily, 2016 ended with 577 homicides, 20 more than 2015: 116 out of these crimes occurred in Limón (20 more than in 2015) and 40 in Guanacaste (14 more than in 2015).
San José, despite being the province with the highest rates in murders, registered a decrease of 17 cases compared to 2015.
Drug trafficking and the social problems related to it are still the most worrying problems authorities face and they are staining the streets with blood. Out of the 577 homicides that took place last year, 244 are related to settlings of score or revenge linked to drug trafficking.
Authorities are aware of the growing problem of violence in the streets of Costa Rica. As a result, the Judicial Police listed some actions that, according to them, would help lower these figures:
-To better control the purchase and possession of weapons.
-To recover public spaces.
-To work in the prevention of drug use.