Panama and Costa Rica Seek to Strengthen Border Security

Costa Rica and Panama strengthened their bilateral ties this weekend at a meeting of ministers in which they discussed issues such as cooperation against organized crime and actions to streamline international trade.

“Fighting cross-border crimes, mainly organized crime and drug trafficking, requires a significant effort from international cooperation between countries. Panama, in this scenario, has a strategic role, hence the importance of strengthening joint police operations,” said Costa Rican Minister of Security, Mario Zamora.

The meeting, held in the border town of Paso Canoas, brought together the ministers of Security, Trade and Agriculture of both countries, following up on the agreements reached last August by the president of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves, and the president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino.

Panama’s Minister of Security, Frank Ábrego, highlighted the ongoing work between Costa Rica and Panama “to carry out a series of joint actions to improve security along the entire border that we share.”

In 2023, more than 500,000 migrants of various nationalities crossed the border between Costa Rica and Panama as part of a route across the continent with the United States as its final destination.