Costa Rica opens a Bukele-style mega-prison

Summary

Costa Rica has opened a mega-prison described as following the Bukele model. Al Jazeera says the model is being embraced across Latin America, while the South China Morning Post calls Costa Rica the latest adopter of the blueprint. ABC News says fighting drug trafficking has become a main goal, inspired by El Salvador’s hardline approach.

Timeline

1. Al Jazeera

   15 Oct 2026, 00:24 UTCSource ↗

   Al Jazeera reports that Costa Rica opened a mega-prison as the Bukele model is embraced across Latin America.

2. South China Morning Post

   15 Oct 2026, 03:53 UTCSource ↗

   The South China Morning Post reports that Costa Rica is the latest to adopt the Bukele blueprint with a new mega-prison.

3. ABC News

   15 Oct 2026, 06:57 UTCSource ↗

   ABC News reports that Costa Rica opened a Bukele-style mega-prison and says fighting drug trafficking has become a main goal, inspired by El Salvador’s hardline approach.