In early February, I had the opportunity to represent the United States as an international observer of the municipal elections in Costa Rica. I attended at the invitation of the constitutional body responsible for organizing and assuring the integrity of elections in that country, the Supreme Electoral Court of Costa Rica. Overall, there were 58 observers representing 21 different nations.
Costa Rica’s local elections take on outsize importance, as Costa Rica has no territorial government between the municipalities and the national government. Therefore, the vast majority of the country’s governance is implemented by those elected at the local level.
While turnout for the municipal elections, much like here at home, was relatively low, 31%, when compared to the national elections Costa Rica held in 2022, it is important to reflect on the national pride and commitment to self-governance that Costa Rica displays in functioning as a stable democracy. These municipal elections are well organized: Every voter had to show an ID to vote, and, unlike in Washington, D.C., Oakland, San Francisco, and several cities in Maryland and Vermont, noncitizens are not allowed to vote.
These elections are important for another reason. As a leader in Central America, Costa Rica has an exemplary record concerning the peaceful transition of power, a deep commitment to democratic self-governance, and a strong alliance with the U.S. against foreign maligned influences in the Western Hemisphere.
Much is at stake since Costa Rica, which proudly has no military, has recently become a target of narcotics trafficking, specifically for cocaine shipments to the U.S.
Additionally, the country has a growing migration problem created by its geographic location. It is on the direct route to the U.S. from South America but is also heavily influenced by the actions of neighboring Nicaragua.
Nicaragua is the only country in Central America that does not require visas for citizens of places such as China, Russia, and several troubled nations in the Caribbean and Africa. In fact, the number of bad actors moving into Nicaragua has made Costa Rica the No. 3 country in the world for asylum-seekers, mostly Nicaraguans fleeing that nation’s troubles.
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For our own sake, the U.S. owes Costa Rica its firm support as it confronts outside powers exerting influence in the Western Hemisphere. In particular, we should consider recommitting to the doctrine announced by President James Monroe in his annual message to Congress in 1832 and consider outside attempts to encourage mass migration and narcotics trafficking in the Americas to be “the manifestation of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States.”
The recently completed, free, and fair municipal elections in Costa Rica safeguard greater peace and more consistent political stability than is enjoyed by many other Latin American nations. But as the situation in Central America develops, the U.S. must continue to support democracies in our own hemisphere and should take a more aggressive stance in assisting our allies as they combat harmful mass migration, growing narcotrafficking threats, and malign foreign influences.
Trey Trainor serves as a commissioner of the Federal Election Commission. He was nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2020.
Source link : https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/2933571/successful-elections-in-costa-rica-show-the-continued-need-for-the-monroe-doctrine/
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Publish date : 2024-03-22 03:00:00
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