Employment readiness and market labor insertion of socially vulnerable youth in crime-ridden communities in Costa Rica

Description

In recent years, Costa Rica has experienced a sustained increase in violent crime and complex offenses linked to organized crime. Between 2010 and 2016, the homicide rate increased 9.7 percent, reaching a rate of 12.1 per 100,000 in 2017 – well over the 10 per 100,000 designated as epidemic levels by the World Health Organization. This crime wave has been conclusively linked to the incr eased presence and activities of organized criminal groups here in Costa Rica, and a 2017 report by the Interagency Technical Commission on Coexistence and Citizen Security Statistics (COMESCO) reported that homicides related to organized crime increased more than 2,000 percent in a period of six years. This increase in drug trafficking has impacted the safety and security of Costa Rican citizens. National and international data show that many Costa Rican communities are in significant need of assistance as they continue to experience a myriad of serious drug problems. International drug trafficking organizations have increased their operations in Central America and in the Caribbean in recent years. A 2011 report by the International Narcotics Control Board states that Central American countries, Costa Rica included, are no longer used as transit points by drug traffickers as they were at the end of the 20th century. International drug trafficking organizations are now using these countries as storage facilities and fueling stations, paying their in-country collaborators with drugs, which they in turn sell locally for profit. The introduction of “high red,” a high THC content marihuana from Jamaica, into the country, is another sign that Costa Rica is no longer a drug transit point but also an importer, according to the 2013-2017 National Drug Plan. With an increase in drug trafficking and national drug production, it is no surprise that illicit drug use in Costa Rica has also risen. According to the 2014 Provincial Geographic Analysis of Drugs in Costa Rica, which was conducted between 2011 and 2013 by Costa Rica’s Institute on Alcoholism and Pharma Codependence (IAFA), illicit drug use in Costa Rica has increased by 7.2% between 2006 and 2012, from 10.6% in 2006 to 17.8% in 2012. In vulnerable communities, poverty and lack of opportunities are factors that make young people quit school and start working or join a crime gang. Efforts from local governments have been concentrated in getting these demographic opportunities to finish high school and get a job. This is key to reduce crime and youth involvement in the narcotraffic chain.

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