Costa Rica's Ministry of Justice denied assaults during a search at La Reforma

The Ministry of Justice and Peace denied the death of an inmate during the procedure. (Courtesy: Trece Noticias) Costa Rica's Minister of Justice and Peace, Gabriel Aguilar, said this Saturday that there were no assaults or mistreatment during a search operation carried out at the La Reforma penitentiary, following the spread of complaints on social media and in various media outlets about alleged incidents of violence inside the complex. In a press release, the official stated that the versions circulated in recent hours are false, and he also rejected claims that a person deprived of liberty died as a result of the procedure. According to the document, the intervention was routine. Authorities used mobile scanners to inspect cells and locate prohibited objects inside the penitentiary. Likewise, the Minister of Justice and Peace reported that the search resulted in the seizure of an unspecified number of sharp weapons. In turn, Aguilar affirmed that the operation took place without acts of violence against inmates. "It is absolutely false that there were assaults or mistreatment in the operation carried out at the La Reforma penitentiary," the minister stated in the text released by the ministry. Similarly, the institution linked the complaints to the climate that, according to its version, exists among the prison population ahead of the upcoming opening of the Center of High Containment Against Organized Crime (CACCO). The inspection operation at the prison led to the seizure of sharp weapons. (Courtesy: Ministry of Justice and Peace) "The imminent start of operations of the CACCO has generated tension among the prison population," said Aguilar, who maintained that this situation leads to complaints that the Government considers unfounded. CACCO is a maximum-security prison built in San Rafael de Alajuela, next to the La Reforma complex. The facility will have capacity for 5,100 inmates and will be intended for leaders of criminal organizations, violent prisoners, and people in extradition proceedings. Its inauguration is scheduled for Wednesday, October 14. The minister also referred to a hunger strike that, according to the press release, was detected while the operation was still underway. Aguilar noted that authorities went to the wing where the protest had begun and spoke with the inmates. After that dialogue, he said, the prisoners agreed to receive food. Minister Aguilar questioned the circulation of inaccurate versions about the results of the operation. (Courtesy: Presidency of the Republic of Costa Rica) The press release questioned the spread of versions that attributed more serious consequences to the procedure. "What some are reporting, in bad faith, is not correct," Aguilar said. Among those claims, he mentioned the alleged death of an inmate, a fact the official called false. In turn, Aguilar said he is not surprised by the existence of accusations against penitentiary staff because, according to him, the Attorney General's Office has opened investigations related to alleged abuses of authority. The minister stated that an interview broadcast during the week on a media outlet mentioned a number of cases lower than the number that, he said, currently exists. Aguilar affirmed that there are "in total against me, five of them for abuse of authority."