The intelligence service in Costa Rica: Between the new and the old paradigm

ABSTRACT

This article analyzes the intelligence service in Costa Rica based on the paradigmatic debates in the strategic intelligence studies; five criteria have been taken into consideration for this purpose: the nature of changes in the intelligence service, doctrine, culture, the intelligence community, and its political and democratic controls. It is concluded that the Intelligence Service of Costa Rica faces the challenge of a political culture that questions the service because of its ideological and militaristic historical heritage, and distrust its political and democratic controls.

This study evidences the absence of an intelligence doctrine that define with clarity the threats faced by the State, a weak intelligence culture and, therefore, a limited intelligence community. This environment has aroused domestic debates in terms of its function in a democratic State, where some propose its closure and others its strengthening; specifically, its transformation to a Directorate of National Intelligence adapted to the new paradigm of strategic intelligence.

Resumen

Este artículo analiza el servicio de inteligencia en Costa Rica basado en los debates paradigmáticos en los estudios de inteligencia estratégica. Para ello, se han tenido en cuenta cinco criterios: la naturaleza de los cambios en el servicio de inteligencia, la doctrina, la cultura, la comunidad de inteligencia y sus controles políticos y democráticos. Se concluye que el Servicio de Inteligencia de Costa Rica enfrenta el desafío de una cultura política que cuestiona el servicio debido a su herencia histórica ideológica y militarista, y desconfía de sus controles políticos y democráticos. Este estudio evidencia la ausencia de una doctrina de inteligencia que defina con claridad las amenazas que enfrenta el Estado, una cultura de inteligencia débil y, por lo tanto, una comunidad de inteligencia limitada. Este ambiente ha suscitado debates internos en términos de su función en un Estado democrático, donde algunos proponen su cierre y otros su fortalecimiento; específicamente, su transformación a una Dirección de Inteligencia Nacional adaptada al nuevo paradigma de inteligencia estratégica.

KEYWORDS:

• Strategic intelligence
• intelligence culture
• intelligence doctrine
• Costa Rica

Palabras clave:

• inteligencia estratégica
• cultura de inteligencia
• doctrina de inteligencia
• Costa Rica

Notes

¹ This type of State is characterized by low participation in issues of global scope, an active participation in international institutions, the use of moral positions in international politics, a limited range of action in terms of its geographic projection, high support to international law and avoidance of the use of armed forces in foreign policy (Braveboy-Wagner, 2008; Hey, 2003; Murillo Zamora, 2012).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Marco Vinicio Méndez-Coto

Marco Vinicio Méndez-Coto is a PhD candidate in International Studies from the FLACSO Ecuador. He holds a Master’s Degree in Human Rights and Education for Peace from the National University of Costa Rica. He serves as a Professor and Researcher at the School of International Relations in the field of international politics and strategic and security studies. He obtained a graduate scholarship from the Organization of American States for the period 2016–2018. He has published several papers in academic journals and books related to international politics in Latin America, Costa Rican Foreign Policy and Human Rights. His most recent research analyzes the Foreign Policy of Latin American Small States.

Fredy Rivera Vélez

Fredy Rivera Vélez holds PhD in Social Sciences from the National University of Cuyo, Argentina. He has been tenured Professor and Researcher since 1999 at FLACSO Ecuador, where he works as a Research Coordinator. In the Republic of Ecuador, he has served as Undersecretary of Internal Security and Political Coordination of the Ministry of Government, Police and Cults (2008-2010); Advisor of International Affairs of the Ministerial Cabinet of National Defense, and Chair of the Board of Directors of International Cooperation (2008-2011). He was also the Director of the Latin American Journal of Security Studies (URVIO) and the Latin American Network for Security Analysis and Organized Crime (RELASEDOR).