Costa Rica president removes minister, security chiefs amid record murders

FILE PHOTO: Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves Robles speaks during his joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron (not pictured) at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 24 March 2023. Yoan Valat/Pool via REUTERS

SAN JOSE (Reuters) - Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves on Wednesday removed his security minister and other top officials from office, after the Central American nation famed for being a safe haven in the region recorded its worst ever year for homicides.

Costa Rica ended 2022 with the highest number of murders on record, with a rate of 12.6 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, and data for the first quarter of 2023 indicate a 40% jump from the same period last year.