Costa Rica opens CACCO mega-prison modeled on El Salvador's Bukele security strategy
On October 15, 2026, Costa Rican President Laura Fernandez inaugurated the High-Containment Centre Against Organised Crime (CACCO), a mega-prison with capacity for 5,100 people. The facility is modeled on El Salvador's CECOT prison and is part of a regional trend of leaders adopting President Nayib Bukele's hardline security approach. Costa Rica has seen near-record homicide levels in recent years, with 905 homicides in 2023, 876 in 2024, and 873 in 2025.
19
Divergence score
2 outlets covered it, splitting into 2 framing camps across 1 bias group.
2 camps
1 bias group
The spectrum · how 2 outlets placed this story
LeftCenterRight
Al Jazeera
South China Morning Post
Supportive of action
Neutral
Dismissive
Critical
Alarmist
International angle
Widest split · the two outlets furthest apart, and who published first
Furthest apart on this story
Al Jazeera
Costa Rica opens mega-prison as Bukele model embraced across Latin America
civil liberties warning · negative
South China Morning Post
Costa Rica latest to adopt Bukele blueprint with new mega-prison
regional security trend · neutral
First to report
- Al Jazeerafirst
- South China Morning Post+3.5 h
By each outlet's earliest publish time in this story. Feeds that index slowly can appear later than they printed.
The split, in one line
Both outlets report the same facts, but Al Jazeera foregrounds civil liberties erosion and rights abuses under CECOT, while SCMP emphasizes Bukele's historic murder reduction and the breadth of regional adoption including Trump's endorsement.
How each outlet covered it
No left-right split here
Coverage clusters in the center and international press. Here is each take as it stands.
Center & international coverage
“Costa Rica opens mega-prison as Bukele model embraced across Latin America”
“Costa Rica latest to adopt Bukele blueprint with new mega-prison”
7 tracked claims across 2 outlets
Fact ledger
All7Claimed3Corroborated4
1/2
Claimed
El Salvador's state of exception has imprisoned more than 91,000 people
Corroborated
Disputed
6 more tracked claimsSign up free to see the full ledger