Costa Rican legislators are urgently working to address the alarming proliferation of heavy firearms now circulating through criminal elements across the country. Members of the influential Security and Drug Trafficking Commission characterize current regulations around arms possession and use as dangerously weak.
Legislators Gloria Navas and Gilberth Jiménez co-sponsored comprehensive reform bill 23.095 intended to tighten controls and sentencing around prohibited firearms. The initiative follows research indicating over 50% of weapons in the nation have illegally entered circulation without oversight or documentation.
“After a thorough regulatory review, we concluded Costa Rica’s framework around firearms, components, and ammunition lacks adequate rigor,” the deputies indicated in the legislation. “Preventing and reducing firearms violence and its deadly impacts hinges on reining in this unlawful market.”
Figures suggest nearly 493,000 weapons now populate the Central American country, over half without purchase or import paperwork. The proposed overhaul specifically aims at arms frequently utilized by organized crime and trafficking groups terrorizing communities. (https://ticotimes.net/2023/12/31/lawmakers-seek-solutions-as-heavy-firearms-flood-costa-rica)
