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Costa Rica is increasingly involved in narco-activity and needs the EU's help to fight it.
Cocaine and fentanyl have taken over the suburbs of the nation's capital, where police are looking for gang leaders. The tropical paradise is on the verge of collapse.
"These people, who are the leaders of some criminal organizations, if they are caught with weapons and drugs, then we can act and arrest them immediately," says Rodrigo Alvaro, police officer, Costa Rica.
We are in Pavas, one of the most dangerous areas of Costa Rica. Almost every day, the police come here in search of cartel bosses who are suspected of hiding in these buildings. What is happening to Costa Rica? Is the tourist destination turning into a narco-state?
"There are only drugs, murder and robbery," says a woman.
Last year, the war between gangs in the territory of the country marked a record increase of 40 percent. Having abolished the army 70 years ago, the state has few tools to deal with violence.
"We were not prepared to face such a violent drug war. There is a big difference between the resources available to the police and those available to traffickers", says Mario Zamora, Minister of Public Order, Costa Rica.
Costa Rica and the EU now want to cooperate more closely on security issues. Stronger intervention in Central America means a reduction in the flow of cocaine into Europe.
Meanwhile, the local police continue to search for the leaders of the gangs in Pavas.
The government plans to increase the number of police officers by 10 percent. But this is considered a belated measure by experts, who fear that the country will fall under the control of traffickers within a few months.
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