506 TicoPost

Political Police in Costa Rica?

Would anyone believe that Costa Rica disposes of a secret police, something similar to the CIA, for example.

This is exactly what DIS stands for. DIS, Direction de Inteligencia y Seguridad Nacional (Direction of Intelligence and National Security) answers to the president only and is free to put under surveillance and investigate any citizen of this country. It was created in 1994 under the General Police Law number 7410, to protect the country as well as to preserve and defend its democracy. Is this, by itself, democratic?

According to Roberto Solorzano, former president of DIS who resigned on Dec 3, 2008, these activities focus around the traffic of arms and drugs (narcotraficantes), working hand in hand with the OIJ (Organismo Judicial de Investigacion) and the PCD (Policia de Control de Drogas).

The DIS doesn’t have the power to put anyone under arrest or to take anybody to court; they rely on the OIJ for this. They do have access to cars, computers and other resources, and they receive regular raises as well as other benefits.

Don Oscar and Don Rodrigo Arias assure us that because there is no army in this country, some form of intelligence is of uppermost importance. In spite of this generous explanation, many questions are still left unanswered:

It has been observed, for example, that there are some links with the FARC and the paramilitary. Large files containing information about PCD’s reports and others about the Colombian authorities came into the light, for example. Also, a report of the DIS, entitled FARC in Costa Rica, with photographs and information about Costa Ricans who have had some sort of connection with the FARC during the last couple of decades, of whom, deputy Jose Merino Del Rio. Del Rio reportedly said that these photos were taken clandestinely and used in order to damage his campaign.

Information of members of organizations and movements such as the Partido Izquierda Unida (Socialist) as well a pro-human groups and syndicates have also been uncovered. DIS explains that it is always important to keep an eye on political leftist movements.

These reports and information about people and organizations are without any kind of seals or signatures. It brought the general prosecutor of the country, Francisco Dall’ Anesse, to consider the DIS to be a political police. In turn, Solorzano and other previous director attacked back in their defense, claiming that talking politics is indeed prohibited. However, Mario Soto, who was director of DIS between 1994 and 1996, admitted that DIS was indeed acting as a political police during the cold war, but that it came to a stop in 1991. DIS is now only used as an informer, he explained. A proof of this, he says, is that the agents use no weapons and do not make any arrests, and this is because “ they are not a political police”. They give red alerts when the national security is menaced, and that is as far as they can go.

One has to remember however that during the presidency of Figueres, between 1994 and 1998, some scandal arose when it was discovered that phones had been tapped illegally. The prosecutor of that period affirms that yes, such activities did take place, but that no trial followed.

Rogelio Ramos, who was the director of DIS from 1998 to the year 2000, affirms that indeed if there is cause for concern, the files and the work of DIS should be analyzed.

Is Costa Rica the friendly democratic and peaceful country we have come to love? After all, the flora and fauna, the beautiful sunsets and the raging volcanoes do not seem to care so much! Is this really worth worrying about, or indeed, is there more to know, and shouldn’t we be better informed?

by Mireille.

Picture Source: http://www.vballs.com/