The deputies approved this Monday the reform, whose bill established a series of changes to the Law creating the jurisdiction specialized on organized crime.

Just a few days ago, the Attorney General, Carlo Díaz, explained that if the law did not enter into force before June 7th, there was a risk that several leaders of criminal gangs would return to the streets after the expiration of their pretrial detention.

The bill seeks to ensure that the terms of preventive prisons for organized crime can be applied to up to 24 months and not only for 12 months as is the case at the moment. It also doubles the terms of time to file and process appeals against judgment and cassation, as well as accessions. It also obliges to apply the deadlines defined in the Code of Criminal Procedure for matters of complex processing in ordinary jurisdiction, without the need for an additional judicial resolution.

The reform is one of the five legal initiatives that seek to combat the crime wave facing Costa Rica, with a record number of some 350 homicides reported so far in 2023.

According to official figures, 657 murders were recorded last year, with a record-breaking rate of 12.6 per 100,000 inhabitants.

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